Love Is A Mental Disorder
by Ash04123
Summary: [2p!Verse] Abused in more ways than one, little Alfred isn't going through the easiest of lives. Far from it, if anything. Things take a turn once he finds a new friend who persuades him to escape and start a new life. [Main Pairing: 2p USUK. Hints of 2p FrUK and other pairings. Will have warnings] [2P: Second Player] Disclaimer: Hetalia does not belong to me.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Love Is A Mental Disorder**

**Author: Ash04123 (Ash)**

**Rated: M (Abuse, Swearing, Sexual activity)**

**Main pairing: 2p!USUK (Shown later in the story, perhaps much later sorry!)**

**So hey guys! I'm back already with a new fanfiction, I've been meaning to work on this for awhile actually. This takes place in the 2p universe! I'm leaving it Rated M for many reasons. Biggest one being the sexual activity that may appear later on. As well as lots of cursing and such. I'll leave short warnings of what to expect in each chapter. I'd love for reviews and such, they're always nice and helpful. Enjoy! -Ash**

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The little red haired boy closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sound in the next room over. This was a daily thing, so he was used to it. Most other kids he knew started crying when their mothers were angry, but not Alfred. Every single day he went through this, it wasn't new.

"Ya lil' runt! All you've done is cause me tons'a trouble!" A crimson haired lady bellowed from the other room. The house wasn't all too big, there were only three rooms to begin with. The fading beige paint on the walls were beginning to scrape off and it was just filthy. Once, Alfred had slid his finger along the floor only to pick it up to notice it encased in dust and grime.

Alfred kept his eyes closed as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He felt a cool breeze through one of the holes in his clothing, this was just the normal lifestyle for him. He imagined all this clothing had at least one hole on them, who knows from what.

The boy kept quiet knowing full well that if he spoke, he might have to face consequences. If there was one rule in this house, it was to never speak up against the boss of it. Which happened to be his mother. Could this disgusting basement even be considered a house? It was unsanitary beyond belief!

"Boy do I regret the day you were born! I shoulda flung you out the window while I had the chance!" She continued as she entered the room, her venomous black eyes staring at Alfred. Or at least, he was pretty sure they were staring at him. He could feel it, he didn't need to look up. This was the game they liked to play; how long will little Alfred keep his head down?

He slightly shuddered after a short moment of silence, feeling the dagger like eyes pierce deeper into his soul. He knew he couldn't keep his face hidden forever, his neck was beginning to hurt. He let out a little sigh before slowly opening his ruby red eyes and tilting his head upward to look at his mother. Wow, what a mistake that was.

His mother hardly looked human! She seemed as if the devil himself rose and temporarily decided to morph with her body. Not that Alfred cared, he loved his mommy. Small tears trickled down the boy's cheeks, it wasn't that hard to notice, no matter how hard he tried not to. He raised his hand and quickly wiped away his fear.

"Goddamnit, Alfred!" She shrieked suddenly, mouth agape. "Did you go ahead and piss your damn self?!"

Oh was he in for it now. He could already feel the belt striking his back before she even grabbed it. As an attempt of escape he turned around and ran into the bathroom, not like it did any good. The house was small and his mother was quickly behind him.

As soon as he entered he tried to push the door closed, but unfortunately his mom's hand was already there and holding the door open. "Open this fuckin' door, Alfred!" He rapidly shook his head and then the tears were really coming. He hated crying, he felt like such a baby. He knew if his friends saw him they'd laugh at him. Oh wait, he forgot he didn't have any friends.

How could anyone make friends when everyone was too and for themselves here? It wasn't like he actually went to school either. He just stood home all day and tried to keep the house clean. He was only five, but he knew he didn't really have a choice. It was either chores or the belt of agony.

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought, how he hated that thing.

He continued to push the door in order to close it as his mother screamed. He felt like his ears were going to begin bleeding, she was so loud. She was _too_ loud. With a grunt he couldn't take it anymore, he let go of the door in order to cover his ears. Today he was really messing up, wasn't he?

The screams had stopped and he let out a little sigh of relief. However, his peace was short lived as he felt it. His back burned, it stung, and it hurt. He let out a short cry before he felt it at his head. The belt continued and went on for what seemed like an eternity.

"Useless child!" His mother hissed before walking away, dragging the belt across the floor. Alfred curled up and covered his face, trying to contain his tears.

_Don't cry. Don't cry._ He thought over and over again until he burst into uncontrollable sobs. Why did mommy do this again? She said she would stop! She says it all the time but she never does! He loved mommy, so why couldn't she return the emotion?

_I love you mommy, why?_


	2. Chapter 2

**(( Oh look, update! Ah, I wish this chapter was better, but I've been quite swamped with work and didn't want to wait any longer to release it! If you may, leave reviews as they're loved and appreciated! Enjoy!))**

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Alfred yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. He had hardly gotten any sleep the night before, his back stung too much. He winced at the thought, a quick shudder getting sent down his spine. Did mommy really have to be that mean sometimes?

He let out a little sigh before focusing back on reality. His mother had sent him to the store to get a few things. He really didn't want to go, especially with the pain he was trying not to show. However, his mother didn't care. She threatened to get a frying pan and Alfred didn't stay to hear the rest of it. He had ran out before she could finish speaking.

The streets were gray and dull, he didn't live in the best part of town, or the country for that matter. America had some really cruddy spots, and he just happened to end up in one. What luck. He shook his head slowly, glancing around at the houses.

They all looked the same, as if they mimicked each other. Alfred imagined multiple families must have lived in them. They varied from white, gray, to black. How depressing.

"Well look who it is!" Alfred snapped away from his thoughts, blinking a few times before quickly turning around. He felt his skin pale as he noticed who was speaking. It was Feliciano. He had this real sweet innocent face, a pair of vibrant pink eyes, and a set of brown hair with a little curl that oddly stood out. Boy, Alfred knew he was in for it.

Feliciano was the biggest bully around town. Of course he didn't look it, but Alfred knew.

He had been staring out his window one day when he noticed the magenta eyed boy hunched over someone. Alfred wasn't sure what was going on since he couldn't hear, but he did notice the boy on the ground crying. He had a similar hair type to Feliciano except his hair was blond. Only when Alfred squinted his eyes did he realize why he was crying.

Feliciano had been holding a sharp object, which he assumed to be a knife, right over the blond. Looking closer, the weapon had crimson substance all over it. He watched as Feliciano lifted the knife above his head, if only he could have turned away faster. Alfred tried to avert his gaze, but still managed to hear the piercing scream of the boy who was struck.

"Hey!" A voice called out, snapping the red haired boy out of his memory. He looked up and his eyes instantly grew wide. Feliciano was closer to him than before, right in front of him for that matter. What did he want with him? Was he going to kill him?

Alfred could feel his heart begin to pound against his chest. "Can you talk or what?" Feliciano pressed, leaning in even closer. His eyes stared into Alfred's mind, like they were trying to read his thoughts and fears. The young boy began to feel light heated, taking a step back out of reflex. How old was Feliciano anyway? How much older than Alfred could he be while hurting others?

"You're making me impatient, stupid!" Feliciano eventually shoved the younger boy, grunting. Alfred fell backwards onto his rump, an apparent frown on his face. Although he was secretly glad the older boy didn't pull a knife out. He did crouch down though, eyes glaring into Alfred's once more.

"Where are you going?" He asked, probably knowing the boy wasn't going to space out this time. Alfred blinked a few times before taking in a deep breath.

"I'm going to the store," he whispered, hoping his nervous voice didn't give him away that was indeed scared. The two bodies stood frozen, gazing at each other for what Alfred thought was hours, until Feliciano rose and smiled.

"Hand over your money!" He cackled as he grinned down at the boy, a dark glint in his eye. Alfred gasped and shook his head quickly. His mother gave him that money! If he didn't buy what she had said, he'd be in for it! There's now way he could give it to him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Alfred protested, slowly standing up. However, he felt a sudden pain on his left arm. He whined and held his arm with his other, looking over to see what caused it. What he saw made his blood freeze in place.

Feliciano stood a step closer twirling a knife in his hand, "I wasn't asking, I was demanding idiota." Alfred glanced down at his right arm and noticed the red liquid pouring from it, boy did he feel sick. It took a lot in him not to vomit on the spot, he really felt like he had to.

"Now, let's try this again," the older boy began, "give me your money." Once again Alfred shook his head, refusing to even budge. He glanced around in a desperate hope for attention. Maybe if someone saw what was occurring they'd jump in and help right? Then again, he had a talent for being very wrong.

There were people watching all right. From the corner of his eyes, Alfred could see people observing from their broken down houses. There were even kids from across the street watching who looked older than both boys. They stared with little to no expression. Why weren't they helping?

"They never learn, do they?" Alfred gasped and had hardly any chance to turn his head before being pinned to the ground. He stared at the other boy above him, straddling him with the knife in hand. This was not good; if he didn't get the items his mother asked for, well he didn't even want to complete that thought!

Now Alfred was used to being punched, slapped, scratched, kicked and hit with that dreadful belt, but he had never encountered the use of a knife before.

_How bad could it hurt? _He wondered, and his question was soon answered. It didn't take long for the pain to reach him once he felt the sharp object piercing his left arm. He opened his mouth as he felt his skin tear apart as the weapon sliced downward. He wouldn't even have thought he was screaming, had it not been for Feliciano releasing the knife and covering his ears. He really didn't care either.

He tilted his head just slightly to look down at what was giving him so much pain. His usual perfect shade of tanned skin was now completely red on his arm. He felt disgusted as the substance continued to ooze out, running down the sides. Unlike his right arm, the blood refused to stop pouring out. A small pool was beginning to form under him, so he began to cry.

In a short panic from either the screaming or the crying, or maybe realizing what he'd just done, Alfred noticed Feliciano turn around and dart away. His body began to tremble as his arm become numb from the pain. He closed his eyes, only to open them to another face. Great, were the other kids going to take away the money Feliciano forgot to steal for himself?

"I-I'm so sorry about my fratello," a voice whispered lowly, crouching down. This new figure has blond hair that almost shaped like Feliciano's. He seemed very similar, but Alfred couldn't really think right now.

The boy reached over and Alfred flinched, thinking he meant further harm. He stared at Alfred's arm for a moment before sighing. He reached up and began taking off, what Alfred just noticed he had, a plain white scarf. It looked pretty expensive actually. A plain color, but beautiful all the same.

Alfred noticed he was whimpering and tried to stop, instead beginning to think. Who was this boy? Why did he look so familiar? Why was he helping him? Even Alfred knew at just five years of age, that the people in this neighborhood were corrupted beyond repair. The fact he was even in this position was just proof of that.

"You need to get home and clean this wound, it could get infected." The blond stated, beginning to wrap his beautiful scarf around the younger boy's arm. _He was wasting that lovely cloth on him? _Alfred couldn't help but watch with a new shimmer in his eyes. He didn't even know this boy, yet he was helping him. Never in his life, which wasn't very long, had he experienced someone caring for another person.

"I'm sorry for the short stay, but I must follow Feliciano! He must be off to some more trouble. Keep the scarf, okay?" The boy flashed him a quick smile before standing up. Alfred quickly noticed this and reached out with his less pained arm.

"W-Wai-" he was cut off by the older boy waving his hand quickly.

"Call me Lovino." He chuckled quietly and began darting off in the same direction Feliciano had ran. Alfred stood with his arm out, staring as Lovino began fading from sight.

Only when he noticed the slight limp in his movements did Alfred realize who he was. That was the same person Feliciano had stabbed before. Why was he following after him though? What was a fratello?

Alfred remained in that position for a few minutes before deciding he had to stand up. It was a hard thing to do with nearly no help from his arms to push him onto his feet. However, eventually he miraculously found himself on both legs and walking home.

He continued walking until he noticed his beaten down house ahead, weakly raising his right arm to knock on the front door. As the door opened he looked up at his mother and her eyes began to narrow.

"Where are the items I asked for?" She said in a quick and demanding voice. Alfred's eyess opened wide, he had forgotten all about the store at that point. "Get your useless ass in here!"

Alfred was pulled into the house, only to have a few moments to prepare himself for his daily beating. How he wished he could have run off with Lovino at that moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ah! Sorry it took me awhile to update this, school has been so stressful as of late! Here it is though! Also, I would really appreciate some reviews, it helps motivate me a whole bunch! (Not afraid to say that, ha ha.) Ah, but yes... ****Enjoy! **

**Warnings: Swearing, Slight abuse.**

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Alfred stared out the window with numerous thoughts in his head. He couldn't get Lovino out of his mind. Why did the boy run off after Feliciano? He was way too nice to be hanging out with him! He had called the pink eyed boy his 'fratello', that Alfred remembered. What the heck was a fratello though?

As much as the younger boy wanted to find out, he really had no chance to. He didn't go to school. His mother realized she could be put into jail, or worse, if they found out about Alfred's beatings. It was pretty obvious too, he nor she could hide it very well. Still, everyone in the neighborhood already knew. They probably did it to their kids too.

However, the only school nearby was miles away and was actually run by decent people. Hence, he stayed home and did chores instead. Alfred's mother worked, but he wasn't sure as what. She'd leave in the middle of the night for her "job" with some strange man who each time Alfred hoped was his new father.

As for said birth father? He never got the chance to see him; he has no clue where he could have gone. Mother mentioned him sometimes, but not in the best of ways. She was usually screaming about how he abandoned her. It made Alfred hate him a little when he heard about him. Why would anyone want to leave his mother? Sure she hit him, but that was his mommy!

So school was out of the question. They couldn't afford a computer either, even though everyone seemed to have one now. He didn't have any friends as well, except for one creepy girl who he saw every once in awhile.

Her name was Natalia, but Alfred knew nothing about her. She was found sometimes searching through their garbage out in front. He managed to speak to her a few times, but she seemed shy and not the most social of people. He remembered how she mumbled on and on about her brother, but nothing more. The conversation only last about five minutes when she suddenly ran off.

Did she actually count as a friend? Alfred doubted she knew anything anyway.

Alfred sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He began to think about the young blond boy, how he seemed to limp away when he followed after Feliciano. There was no doubt in his head that he was the boy that he witnessed being stabbed not too long ago. Though he wouldn't say so out loud, he thought Lovino was really brave. He was like those knights Alfred read about in the stories; the knights who would chase after dragons to slay them and protect others.

Alfred nodded to himself before opening his eyes again. He made a decision! The only person who could answer his questions was Lovino himself. The only problem was he really had no idea where he was, nor did he know how he'd be able to get out of the house without a good excuse.

Alfred planned for a few days how he could find Lovino before the perfect opportunity came.

"Lil' runt, wake the hell up!" Alfred's mother bellowed by his room door. His room was just bigger than a closet, the dry wall peeling around it. Alfred's eyes slowly opened. He knew if his mother was screaming, he'd either have to wake up, or face consequences.

"I need you to go to the store. Hurry the fuck up, why are ya takin' so damn long?" Alfred groaned to himself, slowly rollng off the bed. Almost immediately as he did, he felt a buzz of pain on his head. He winced and glanced upward, watching as his mother gripped hs hair tightly. "If you fuck this up and come home beat up like a lil' pussy again, you'll be better off in hell."

She let go of his hair, which he silently thanked whatever force made her do it, and walked away. He rubbed his head softly, running his fingers through his hair in attempt to comb it. His crimson hair was all tangled and filled with knots. He didn't own a brush, once he did, but it broke. Of course his mother didn't buy him a new one.

He quickly looked over to his pile of clothing, he usually slept in his underwear. He crouched down and reached for the least disgusting looking shirt. It was hard to choose. One with a ketchup stain from last weeks hamburgers, which he hated, or the one with a large hole in it? In the end he chose the one with the stain. He quickly tugged the shirt on before pulling up a pair of ripped jeans. One hole was enough, the stain would at least be better than feeling an awkward breeze. He stepped into his sneakers, at least they were intact still.

As soon as he stepped out of his room his vision was blocked off. His mother was shoving multiple dollars at his face, nagging about something he was too tired to catch. He assumed she was just explaining the whole, "Don't fuck up," thing.

He obtained the money and smiled up at her with large, innocent eyes. How he loved mommy. She rolled her eyes and walked away. Alfred began heading for the front door at a slow pace, the sleep in him still in affect. Why couldn't he just go back into his room and sleep? He wouldn't mind if he never woke up actually.

Alfred always wondered what that meant, if he were to never wake up from slumber. He remembered Natalia once talked about a place called Heaven. She had said it was full of angels and happiness. Would he end up there? She said you have to be dead though, but forever happy? Alfred wondered why people weren't out killing themselves to get to this place. Maybe it wasn't real. Natalia was a weird girl after all. Still, maybe if he became one of those pretty angels she described, his mother would be kinder to him.

With a sigh Alfred shaked the thought away, looking around the living room. There were bottles spread all across the floor. He wasn't sure what they were, all he knew was that they were his best friend and worst enemy. His mother called them "happy juice". Sometimes when she drank them she'd get even more cruel than Alfred could ever imagine. She'd throw glass cups at him, forks, plates, once she even threw a knife. However, on rare times, she was completely different. She would hold Alfred closely and apologize for all the things she had done to him in his short life. Alfred really loved moments like that, but he wasn't sure if she meant it. All the same, he was happy when it happened.

He passed by the bottles, stepping over a view before he finally reached the front door. He reached his arm up to open the door before walking out. There was a cool breeze blowing by, it make his hair go wild in a dance. He pouted and tried to comb it back down. He looked down at his hand with the money in it, there was also a small white crumpled up paper among the dollar bills. It must be the list of items he needed to get, he didn't even notice his mother hadn't told him in the first place.

He stuffed both the money and the note back into his pockets, looking around cautiously before jogging down the streets. He didn't want to end up in another mess with Feliciano or any other bully roaming around. He just wanted to do what his mommy said, so that way she'll be happy. However, with that in mind he also knew he had another objective. He didn't want to get caught, but he also wanted to find Lovino.

He slowed his pace down a bit, his breathing slightly rougher as he panted softly. He stopped in place and took a few moments to inhale and exhale. He closed his eyes for a moment, leaning up against a nearby tree in front of a house. All the houses looked the same, it really was boring. Alfred would personally color them red, he really liked red. He wasn't sure why, maybe because his mother told him it was the color of love once.

He opened his eyes after catching his breath and stood up straight. Alfred brushed himself off quickly before resuming to jog at a quick pace, the store wasn't too far. Only a few blocks away and he'd be there, and no one would have bothered him along the way! If things went well he'd be able to spend time looking for Lovino.

Of course, as he said that he came to an abrupt stop. His eyes narrowed as he quickly hid behind another tree. Across the street, right in front of the store, was Lovino and another girl. It took a few moments for the crimson haired boy to realize who the girl was. Her hair was long and blue, she had a strange posture with her head tilted downward, and she wore a puffy white dress that Alfred thought looked funny. Her dress seemed to be covered with grime and looked more gray than white. It was Natalia.

He stared at the two from afar, wondering why they were together. Lovino seemed to be talking, running his fingers through his hair as he spoke. His blond hair had that odd curl sticking out, bouncing as he brushed around it. He had another scarf on except this one was pink, it even seemed to have glitter. Alfred thought he looked pretty girly. He also wore a plain white sweater and a pair of black leather pants. Why did Lovino have such pretty looking clothing?

He continued staring at them, tilting his head to the side. He never saw Natalia outside of digging in his garbage, she looked a lot nicer when she didn't have stinky old fish in her hair. A soft smile spread across his face, so she was a normal girl!

Lovino suddenly stopped talking, freezing in place for a moment before averting his gaze to the direction to where Alfred was hiding. Alfred's eyes opened wide, wondering if he had been caught. He thought he was hiding pretty well! He had a small body and the tree was really big!

Lovino suddenly smiled a bit and looked back at Natalia who had followed his gaze and seemed to see what he saw. He quickly whispered something into her ear before grinning and waving at her. Natalia seemed to giggle, wait, why was she so happy? Alfred watched as she turned around and began running away, Lovino turning around as well.

The young boy leaned against the tree, looking away from the scene. Were Natalia and Lovino friends? There was no way. The blond looked as if he was a rich boy, while Natalia was a poor girl who was apparently caring for her whole family. Or so she would ramble on about when he actually spoke to her.

Alfred only thought for a moment, because quickly after, a hand was on his shoulder. Had the bullies finally noticed him? He quickly twisted around, fear clear on his face. It soon faded when he noticed Lovino was standing in front of him. However the relief didn't last long either, what if the blond was mad because he was spying on him? Did he even know he was staring?

"Hey, I remember you! Why were you here staring at me and Natalia?" Well that answered that. Alfred opened his mouth to respond, but as he did he was suddenly pulled away. He nearly stumbled, had two arms not wrapped around him. He looked around with wide eyes, finally looking up at the older boy. "Stay here and don't move."

Alfred blinked a few times in confusion, what was going on exactly? He realized only when Lovino began crawling away that he was forced under a car.

"Hey there, Lovino," a voice boomed, a dark tone in his words. Alfred looked in the direction of the voice, seeing a crowd of feet on the street. Alfred didn't recognize the voice, but he was sure he didn't want to deal with the owner of it.

"Hi Ludwig, what are you doing here? If you're looking for my fratello, he's off being stupid," Alfred heard Lovino quickly snap back. He sounded angry, but Alfred could make out the slight fear in his voice.

A pair of feet, which Alfred assumed to be Ludwig's since he had on black boots and he couldn't imagine Lovino in such manly like footwear, stepped forward. At the same time as if in a dance, Lovino stepped back. "Your brother is not stupid, mein gott, how does he deal with you?"

At that point Alfred noticed another pair of feet behind Ludwig's step forward. "What a faggot."

"I know right? Let's find Feli, Gil." Both pairs of feet opposite Lovino began walking away. Alfred waited, tense from the conversation and the aura the two boys seemed to radiate. He waited a few moments before a silent sigh was heard.

"You can come out now," the voice just hardly whispered, seeming to be drained of energy. It took only a few seconds for the young boy to crawl out of the car. It smelled under there! He hoped he didn't sit on a bug or something; bugs were nasty.

"Who were they?" Alfred responded quietly, still pretty shaken up. Lovino rolled his eyes, which Alfred assumed was a dumb question to ask then. He frowned, wondering how stupid he must be.

Lovino seemed to notice because he quickly shook his head, reaching over to pat the red haired boy's shoulder. "Oh no, I just don't like thinking about them, I'm sorry. I don't know if you saw, but the one who first came up to me was Ludwig. He's a weird boy, always looking around for mio fratello. The one who was behind him, the second voice, was his brother Gilbert. He's very scary, really quiet."

Alfred nodded once, when finally it struck him. That word again, that's why he was here! He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, "What's a fruh...tell...oh?" The blond's eyebrows rose at the question before covering his mouth with a well manicured hand, snickering to himself. Once again, Alfred couldn't help but feel a bit dumb.

He shifted uncomfortably onto a leg, his hands intertwining in front of him. "Fratello means brother in Italian! Feliciano and I are Italian." Although that's what Lovino said, all Alfred heard was _Feliciano and I are brothers._

Brothers? How was such a nice boy, who had not only helped him after he was stabbed, but also protected him from Ludwig and Gil, be brothers with Feliciano? The name burned Alfred's mind, a clear expression of disapproval on.

"I know it's hard to believe, but yes, we're brothers." Lovino paused, taking in Alfred's reaction. He couldn't help but notice Alfred's eyes were beginning to grow wider. He knew it was a shock that they were brothers, but that much? Alfred looked as if he had just seen a ghost!

Alfred may have seemed that way, but as he stared at Lovino, he only wished it was a ghost compared to this. Alfred's body began to tremble until he opened his mouth, letting out an ear-bleeding scream.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally an update. School is such a bother! Ah, this chapter does have some warnings in it. I wish it was longer, but next chapter will involve one of my favorite 2p's! [Not the one revealed in this, oh, and can you guess who the 2p at the end is?]**

**I actually have a question I'd appreciate people answering.**

**Although this story mostly revolves around 2p Alfred, I was wondering if people would like a short part of a chapter (occasionally, not always of course) to be about one of the other 2p's lives. Like Lovino, or Natalia. Like maybe in the beginning or ending of a chapter to get a taste of their lives too? I wouldn't mind at all!  
**

**Anyway... Enjoy!**

**Warnings: Hidden Context of Rape/Pedophilia (Towards the end).**

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The screams seemed to pierce through Lovino's eardrum because he jumped up, and back a good foot. He blinked a few times, watching Alfred tremble and yell. He sounded like he was facing a huge monster of some sort.

In a way, it was a monster. At least, to Alfred it was. He felt it crawling up it's back, it wasn't wriggling around or wasting time, it was moving fast. He clenched both his little fists as it made it's way up his spine.

He stopped screaming after what seemed like hours, only to drop onto his knees in front of the young blond.

"Get it out! Get it out!" he began to sob, tears quickly streaming down his cheeks. Lovino stared at him with wide eyes, truly incapable of seeing what was wrong with him. "It's on my back! It's going to eat me!" The older boy blinked a few times, trying to process what he was being told. At first he looked behind Alfred to see if some kind of small animal had bitten him, but nothing was there. "It's inside!"

Lovino quickly paced over behind the younger male, crouching down and finally realizing what was going on. He noticed a little bump that seemed to be moving from inside Alfred's shirt. He frowned and lifted the boy's shirt up, only to find a slightly bigger than average ant. He reached in and plucked the black critter with his fingers, his nails simply cost too much to waste on an insect! He put the ant on the ground before stepping on it, looking over at the other boy who was still shivering.

"It's gone!" He smiled, watching as Alfred seemed to calm down. It took a few moments until he was at his normal breathing and didn't look like he'd seen the most horrific thing in his life. "You're scared of insects?"

"N-No!" Alfred immediately snapped, standing up and facing the other. His eyes were red and puffy from all his crying. Okay, so maybe he was scared of them, but also not really. He tried to think over his words carefully before deciding he trusted Lovino enough to just tell him the truth. "I'm scared of spiders."

Lovino tried not to smile at that, but he couldn't help it. Alfred had puffed out his cheeks and he looked so cute! He covered his mouth with a clean hand and began to chuckle, closing his eyes a bit.

Was he laughing at him? Alfred stomped a foot on the ground, "It's not funny! They're really ugly and have too many legs!" He could feel as his eyes began to water again, he thought he could trust Lovino!

"Ah, no! Alfred it's not that! It's just, you look so cute right now!" The blond began full out laughing now, walking over to ruffle Alfred's red hair. He went to run his fingers through it, except his hand got stuck. It took him a moment before the tangled clump of hair released his hand. Alfred really seemed to need a haircut, did he even use shampoo?

He frowned a little at that, he could tell he was younger than him. His brother and him may look like they were very young, but they knew enough. "How old are you?" he paused a moment, "And I haven't gotten your name yet!"

Alfred lifted his arm to wipe away the forming tears, he guessed he must have looked like a baby. Well he wasn't a baby! He was a big boy! Just a few days ago he was stabbed and he took it like a man! Okay, well he cried a lot, but it hurt! He came back to reality when he heard the Italian boy's question.

"I'm Alfred, I'm," Alfred stuck out his hand, "five years old!" He noticed how Lovino seemed to tense in front of him, a look of pure horror overcoming him. Did he say something wrong? He felt a soft hand soothe his hair back, while glancing up at the blond's eyes, he wished he hadn't. Lovino's eyes were filled with what he could only describe as sadder than him when he got hit by mommy.

He noticed how the male closed his eyes and began grumbling. He couldn't understand the words, but they sounded angry and filled with pain. When he opened his eyes again, Alfred tilted his head to the side a bit.

"I'm eight, Feliciano is the same," he whispered, supposing he should give Alfred an answer in return. Alfred was so young, and he could tell the poor boy has already went through a life time of pain.

"I-I...Thank you for helping me before!" Alfred sputtered out, finally having the mind to say the second thing he'd wanted to tell Lovino. "Your scarf got really dirty though, and my mommy didn't like it, so she threw it out, I'm sorry!" Alfred really didn't want her to take the scarf away, it hurt him. He remembered how she tugged the scarf off him in one swift moment, and decided to get creative. He couldn't help but squirm at the memory of his mother pulling the scarf around his mouth and bringing the belt down. He had felt even more helpless than usual, screaming as his sounds were muffled.

"Oh that was nothing, Feliciano is always a stupid head! He's always walking off trying to nearly murder other kids! Only for money!" Lovino sighed, his brother really was troublesome. He couldn't imagine how he'd be when he got older. Lovino was gifted with patience, a kind heart, and great hair.

That's when another question sparked in Alfred's head, he hadn't noticed it until now. "Lovino, why do you look so nice?" He stared at the older boy as his cheeks quickly flushed pink, smiling a bit sheepishly.

"Nice? Do you mean my clothing? Well I come from a decently stable family."

"Why does Feli-" he had trouble saying the whole name, "need money then?"

Lovino nodded a few times, finally understanding what Alfred was getting at. It must have deeply confused the young boy, seeing him in his expensive clothing while his brother went off stabbing people. Seriously, his brother was such a bother! "Well Alfred, we may come from a rich family, but like everyone else here, it's not the nicest."

Alfred furrowed his brows, so was Lovino and his brother also beaten by their moms? At that he couldn't help but ask, "Do you have a daddy?" The blond nodded slowly, beginning to fumble with his sparkling scarf. "Is he nice?"

The American could see the Italian's expression change drastically, it was clear there was tension between the two. "Well, you see, he..." his voice trailed off, unable to complete his sentence. Alfred kept staring at him and waiting for an answer before it was obvious he wasn't going to get one. He wondered what his father did to them. How could anyone hurt Lovino? He looked so peppy and nice, how could anyone try and hurt his perfect skin?

At that thought he looked down at his own hands, noticing the bruises that aligned across his arms. He was pretty glad he had a nice tan color because if he was pale like Lovino the marks would be even more obvious. He glanced the other over, trying to spot some sort of blemish. He couldn't find any, only receiving a questioning look from him in return.

"Is everything alright, Alfred?" Lovino smiled meekly, the happy energy he held seemed to have been drained from his body. The younger boy looked up and nodded quickly. He didn't want to ask him about it, maybe his dad did other things he didn't like. He scrunched up his nose at the thought, his new friend was too kind to hit. He wished he could do something about it. "If you're sure, wow the sun sure is bright out!"

Alfred took a moment to process that before letting out a short gasp. How could he have forgotten what his actual reason for coming here was? Mommy was going to be so mad! He hoped she took mercy today. "I have to go," he whispered quietly, his eyes wide with panic.

"Oh, I'm sorry for keeping you here Alfred!" The blond replied with a sweet smile. Alfred nodded quickly before taking a step to leave, stopping in place soon after.

"Can I see you again?" He looked up at Lovino whose smile seemed to grow wider.

"Of course you can! We're friends now, right?"

"Friends..." Alfred let the word tingle his tongue, he never had a friend before! He was so excited, now all he wanted to do was stay here with him! He knew he couldn't though, not unless he really wanted mommy angry. They both gave a short wave before he was off running to the store, panting slightly in the process.

He quickly checked the note in his pocket for the items he needed and began to search the aisles. His mother sure had a heavy list today, or so he thought when he had to carry a gallon of milk and liter of soda in his arms. The cashier didn't seem to mind his age, looking apathetic. This probably wasn't anything new to her.

As he placed the items on the counter, he couldn't help but look over at a much taller man. Reason being the stare he was giving, it creeped Alfred out a bit. From the corner of his eye he noticed the man was wearing a plain white shirt, black leather pants, and wore his Auburn hair tied in a ponytail. Did he want something? He cleared his throat and returned to the cashier. She blew a small pink bubble from her gum before holding her hand out. Alfred quickly handed over the money, getting a sudden feeling of dread.

She leaned back and began punching in numbers, all too slowly it seemed, before handing over the change. "Have a nice day, blah, blah." Alfred smiled and nodded, going on his tip toes to grab the bags. As he began to leave he couldn't resist peeking behind him. Oh how he wished he hadn't. The man behind him didn't even seem to buy anything, quickly skipping past the counter, and walking right to him.

In a small shed of panic, he sped up and out of the market, gripping the bags painfully tight. His knuckles were white, and his arm still hurt from Feliciano stabbing him the previous week. He just had to get home and everything would be fine. His mommy would beat up anyone who would hurt him. Wait, so wouldn't she beat herself up? Oh no, did mommy lie again? Wait, stop getting off track!

He shook his head quickly, not daring to look back again. He began to pant softly, but kept his speed up, if anything he actually walked faster. At the back of his head he couldn't help but think to hear of a second pair of steps right behind him. He wanted to look back, but he knew he couldn't. If what was happening was really reality, he'd probably begin crying. However, if it wasn't, then he'd look like a complete fool being so scared for nothing. Either option didn't seem pleasant, which made him continue on ahead.

He glanced around quickly, not even realizing where he was going for a moment. He recognized the street immediately, only two blocks away from the house! He'd knock on the door, mommy would open, and she'd protect him! She always did. She was a hero.

Oh, but luck really had a grudge against him. He suddenly jumped as he felt a hand place on his shoulder, causing him to freeze on the spot. His body was already trembling before another hand snaked it's way across his waist, scooping him up. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to try and fight back, but he couldn't. He was so scared, what was going on? Who was picking him up? Was it the same man? Maybe it was mommy? He wasn't so sure though, things never really went the way he wanted them to.

He nearly forgot to breathe and had to force himself to inhale precious air. He looked around quickly, the figure holding held him over a shoulder. "You're so cute, amigo."

The voice caught him off guard, it sounded sweet, too sweet. Almost like poisonous candy. Finally Alfred began to squirm, making small noises of protest. He couldn't bring himself to be much louder.

"Sh, I'm going to make you feel really good," Alfred was lowered when they entered a dark alley. He looked around desperately for some sort of help, just one person to help him. He found no one. Not that anyone would have actually helped anyway. All for one, and that is that.

A finger tilted Alfred's chin up, forcing him to look into bright red eyes. The color was so terrifying that tears began to build up in his own eyes, teeth chattering slightly. What did this man want? What did he mean by he wants to make him feel good?

"I'm going to have a lot of fun with you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Update powers, away! Ah, this chapter isn't the most interesting in my opinion, but it does have one of my favorite 2p characters. **

**I would still love people to tell me whether they want to see little pieces of a couple of the other 2p's lives to get to know them better? [2p!Romano would be the first]**

**Enjoy, and review please? It's so greatly appreciated, you really don't know! [You readers are very quiet, ha ha!]**

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The words caused Alfred to begin screaming, not a tiny yelp, no full out screaming once again. Hadn't he done enough yelling? Why was fate so cruel? He was going to have a sore throat soon. That didn't matter this very moment though, this man was dangerous. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but it sounded really bad.

A hand quickly clamped over his mouth, it smelled oddly like tomatoes. Alfred really loved healthy food, but this was not the time to focus on that!

"Shhh, you'll be okay. Tú eres muy lindo." The voice whispered into his ear, his eyes flashing. Now Alfred had a red-like eye color himself, but this man's were much different. They were showing off a promise of pain and tears. A hand began to lightly rub Alfred's chest, sliding down soon after. Alfred's tears were pouring out by now, making quiet muffled sobs under the man's hand.

His hand softly rubbed his inner thigh, getting much too close for any comfort. He wasn't allowed to touch down there! He was next to a very bad spot! Alfred slightly squirmed and tried to shift around, finding some way to escape. However, the other man seemed to take it another way.

"Oh, you like it, sí?" He whispered, his hand began creeping up closer to that bad spot. _He wasn't allowed to touch there!_ _No! No!_ The world seemed too confusing, it was spinning around Alfred. Hence why he didn't expect a loud sound to drop him to reality. There was a loud _BANG_, and the man who was touching him was suddenly running away.

Did the police come? Wait, the police don't even seem to exist around here. Did someone hear his cry for help? Whoever it was, Alfred was grateful for them.

"Nasty fuckas aru!" A voice huffed to his side, immediately grabbing the boy's attention. He turned his head to see a young man standing and casually swinging a gun between his fingers. He had black hair that was tied up in a tiny ponytail, not that it was all that long to begin with though. He had on a strange black cadet cap, put on backwards to be exact. His clothes were normal, too normal. He had on a red jean jacket, which was open and showed a black undershirt. Finally he also wore black jeans, not ripped like Alfred's. Was he the one who helped him?

"You okay there? Stupid muthaf-'Scuse me, aru," he chuckled quietly, feeling like he shouldn't curse and corrupt the child more. He could already see that the child had been through enough. He really didn't know what brought him to this neighborhood in the first place, it was a complete dump! However he had to listen to his little brother, Kiku, no matter how freaky that kid was. He sighed heavily, why was he always stuck with the weird ones?

Alfred stared at him, trembling from the incident still. He didn't look dangerous, but he was twirling a gun as if it was some kind of toy. Guns always scared him, he wasn't sure why. They weren't as creepy as spiders, but pretty close.

"Yo, you okay kid? That fu-idiot is gone, you okay with Yao." He wasn't sure why he referred to himself in third person, but damn did he enjoy it. It made him feel powerful! Which he was of course, being the owner of a large company and all. Seriously why was he in this hell hole?

The man seemed asian, and yet he spoke just like an American. It was quite amusing actually, he couldn't tell if the man looked like he belonged here, or should be sent somewhere far away. Either way he spoke up, "Y-Yes. Thank you f-f-for..." He wasn't sure why he started crying, but he did. He hated crying. Mommy would be so mad.

Yao walked over to the small boy, sighing a bit. Why did he get himself into things like this? So many questions, and he'll never get answers because the world is out to get him! Wait, that relevant right now. "Don't cry, aru! Listen, I'll give you a lollipop if you hush down!" He didn't know how to deal with crying children, Kiku was always so quiet! Creepy, but silent.

Alfred tilted his head to the side. A lollipop? He had one once, it tasted oddly good. His mommy didn't like candy though, she always took it for herself. She'd yell that he's fat enough, but he wasn't so sure. If anything, he wasn't eating enough! He wouldn't question mommy though, she knew what she was talking about. Still, he'd love to have a lollipop right now!

He sniffled and fought back the tears, staring at the man. Yao let out a small sigh of relief and grinned, holding his hand out. "I'm Yao, Yao Wang!" He hoped the boy didn't make fun of his name like many others did.

He glanced at the man's offering hand, reaching over to place his own in it, "I'm Alfred." He was buzzing with questions, but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. What happened to that strange man who was touching him? Who was Yao, and why was he here? What made him protect him?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard something being unwrapped and crumpled. He blinked a few times before noticing the Chinese man was holding out a stick. Wait, no, that wasn't a stick. It was a lollipop! Alfred's stomach bubbled up in excitement, he hadn't been able to have one in so long! Yao could instantly feel the happy aura that radiated off the young boy, grinning himself.

"You know, you remind me of my lil' brother, Kiku. He's about your age, except he's creepier." He might as well be honest to him, besides the whole world knew his brother was strange. Hell, his brother knew he was a freak. He sighed, he shouldn't be thinking such rude things. Kiku was family, the only family he had left at that.

"Kiku?" Alfred repeated, testing out the name. He liked it, it was strange, he liked strange. "Where is he?"

"Ah, he's probably crawling around here somewhere," Yao commented, tapping his chin and looking around. Alfred arched a brow in confusion. Crawling around? Was Kiku a dog or something? He kind of regretted asking actually.

"Spirals!" Screamed a voice as a figure jumped onto the Chinese man's back. He didn't budge, he only rolled his eyes. Alfred's eyes opened wide, backing away a bit. Why was Yao so casual about this?

"Alfred, this is Kiku, my brother." The young man answered Alfred's obvious question, or at least it seemed so by the look on his face. His brother was such an embarrassment, how did they deal with each other?

"Gaoo!" The little Japanese boy continued, pulling on his brother's hair.

"H-Hello," Alfred just barely whispered, quite scared of the wild boy. He didn't even seem to be speaking English, or any language for that matter! Then again, Alfred hardly knew English himself. The boy looked up and the red haired boy was able to get a proper look at him. He had short black hair, almost in the shape of a bowl. He tried to keep himself from snickering at that, mommy always hit him when he laughed for stupid reasons. It was when he glanced into the other boy's eyes that Alfred felt a chill travel down his spine. They were a large red color, and they seemed to be gazing into the distance.

"Alfred-chan, spirals!" The boy kept a very serious expression. Alfred couldn't help but wonder what spirals he was talking about. Those were those swirly shapes, right? He looked about before glancing at his lollipop. He held it out and wondered if this is what he was talking about.

Kiku blinked a few times before breaking into a sweet smile, letting go of his brother's now messy hair and walking over to Alfred. He wrapped his arms around the other and squeezed him in a hug.

The younger boy, who was just completely confused at this point, patted his back with a sheepish smile. He wasn't sure why he was being hugged, but it was comforting in a way. When was the last time he was actually hugged by mommy? It seemed like months!

He was about to tell Alfred that his brother was just a bit crazy when he suddenly saw them hugging. He couldn't help but smile softly, his brother had never done that before. At least not to anyone besides him. Was he jealous? Maybe a little. He was more happy though, or so he swore silently. "Hey Kiku, it's time to go aru. It was nice meeting you Alfred, but Kiku and I have to return to our home." Yao stated abruptly, almost sadly. He enjoyed seeing the two boys interact.

"H-Home? Where?" Alfred frowned, enjoying the presence of a decent person for once in his life. How could they be going already? Did he do something wrong?

"It's in Manhattan, do you know where that is?" Yao asked, biting his bottom lip a bit.

Now if Alfred was educated on anything while he wasn't in school, it was about America. He loved looking at the map and planning new places to explore and travel to one day! Of course, he'd never get the chance, but it was nice to dream. That's why it was called the American Dream, right? He nodded quickly and grinned.

"Well we come from there, we were just visiting another borough for the time being." Truth being that Kiku sensed many spirals round here and nearly dragged his brother. He was a lot younger, but damn he was strong!

Alfred stood silent, the realization slowly dawning on him. His possible friend was leaving already. He shouldn't be surprised, life was out to get him. As freaky as Kiku was, he hadn't hurt Alfred in any way. As a matter of fact, they were still hugging! He blinked a few times before looking down, mouth gaping open. How had the boy fallen asleep on him? And while standing! Wasn't that uncomfortable?

He shaked Kiku a bit as the boy blinked awake, almost owlishly. Suddenly Yao snapped his fingers and gave him a huge bright smile. Alfred tilted his head to the side and wondered what he was thinking.

"Aiyah! I have an idea! Here, take this card aru!" The Chinese man all but yelled in excitement, boy was he happy! He glanced down at the card he was given, it was just a small white paper, a strong one. Printed on it were a few letters and numbers, all of which Alfred couldn't exactly read properly.

"What is this for?" He asked, tilting his head up as Kiku finally stopped clinging onto him, returning to Yao's side.

"That is my phone number! You and Kiku can have a play date whenever you want! Just call, okay?" He was a genius, and he knew it! He did run a powerful business after all. A big business with lots of bitc-

"Thank you," Alfred whispered, holding the card close. He and Kiku could still be friends, or at least try to be.

"Of course! Let's go Kiku, it's time for your lesson about swag. See-ya, Alfred!" Yao waved, placing a gentle hand on his brother's back. They both left and the American simply stared at the card. It completely slipped his mind that the man was still twirling the gun between his fingers. This was the most gifts he had ever gotten! A lollipop and a card with words and numbers! This was the best thing ever!

Or at least it was, when he suddenly remembered why he was outside in the first place. Wasn't he supposed to be home with groceries by now? Where were the bags? He looked around frantically when the cold truth seemed to whisper in the wind. _He lost them._

He shivered at the mere thought of getting punished, he didn't dare think of how yet. Instead he locked his eyes with the information again. He would have to learn how to read, and fast.

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**Clarification: Kiku is Yao's adopted brother for the most part. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey there guys! So you might notice this chapter is a bit longer than the others.** **Mostly because this chapter has a bonus of little look at 2p Lovino and Feliciano's life.**

**I also wanted to say that yes this is still a 2p USUK story! I promise 2p Arthur/Oliver [Which do you prefer?] will make an appearance in a few more chapters. This story just mostly revolves around 2p Alfred's life in general though. So, sorry again! It's taking so long! School and all that nasty stuff.**

**Anywho, enjoy!  
And thanks for finally breaking the Review tension in the last chapter!**

**They're seriously really appreciated! **

**Warnings: Abuse, derogatory language, sensitive topics.**

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Alfred expected bad, but not as bad as what he actually received. Truthfully it was all a blur, he could barely remember anything that happened. All he knew was that it definitely hurt. He recalled crying loudly and yelling, but that's it. However, that was enough to remind him that it was definitely bad.

Today was a new day and the beating was in the past. Mommy wasn't happy with him when he returned home without any bags. When he tried to explain what happened, she had nothing of it. That's when the pain began all over again.

She really did it this time too. He had slashes over his wrists, and most likely on his back, or at least that's what it felt like as he slowly sat up in bed. Honestly he didn't even remember getting into bed the night before. Letting out a quiet sigh he realized his desire to stay covered under his blankets. It wasn't like his mother was happy with him anyway, so why bother? Still...

For some reason that probably wouldn't make any sense out loud, he began edging towards the side of the bed. It was painful, it felt like he could break into nothing any second now. How happy he was when he reached the edge of the bed! Mommy could be so cruel, she didn't even apologize. Not that she ever did, but sometimes... That didn't matter now. The main thing was to get off this bed and hopefully not die along the way. Seriously, his back felt like it was being stabbed. Better yet, he knew what that felt like after the incident with Feliciano, if anything his back might have hurt worse right now.

Eventually he was given the mercy of standing on his two feet, with no graceful balance, but he was standing! It almost felt like he was learning to walk again as his legs wobbled over to his door. This was the only time a small room, or closet, came in handy. There wasn't much space between the bed and the door, so he could get there a lot easier. He reached up to twist the doorknob before swinging the door open weakly.

He took in a deep breath before exhaling silently. Was it too late to get back in bed?

"Alfred."

Yes it was. He slowly glanced up at the voice, mentally bashing himself for deciding to get up.

"Your friend is waiting for you outside."

He blinked a few times. Friend? What friend? He didn't have any frie-oh wait! Could it be? He silently scooted away from her before running to the window, one which had a broken panel. He peeked out and saw a smiling blond boy, his odd curl bouncing as he swayed back and forth pateintly. There was no denying it, Lovino visited him!

He looked over at his mother, she didn't look mad, but she didn't look happy either. He quietly kept his gaze on her, waiting for an answer that would make his current pain feel like nothing. Without a word she nodded and Alfred broke into a smile. With a hurried 'thank you' he opened the front door and limped out.

"Alfred! Oh it's so good to see..." His voice trailed off as he glanced Alfred over. He couldn't really comprehend what he was looking at for a moment. The boy in front of him had small cuts and large bruises all over his face, and his wrists looked as if someone tried pulling them off. Was this really Alfred?

"H-Hi Lovino! H-How did you find me?" Alfred mumbled silently, a small smile on his face. Not that he minded, Lovino was always invited here!

"Oh, well it's a funny story actually," he rubbed the back of his head, wondering if it was appropriate to tell. It was Alfred after all, he deserved the truth. "Feliciano was sort of outside of your house, waiting to attack you. I found him and ended up squeezing it out of him. So here I am!"

Alfred's eyes widened slightly, why was every day a never-ending battle for him? "Is he still here?"

"Oh of course not! I kicked his butt and sent him home!" The blond laughed, rubbing his hands together to make a point. A small laugh escaped the young male, flashing him a grin.

"You're like one of those hero things!" Innocent Alfred exclaimed all too weakly.

"Ah heroes don't exist, Alfred," he whispered in return, having his own personal experiences for believing so. If they did, where was one when they needed the help all those years ago?

"I know," he said calmly, "but it's nice to pretend they did."

"Alfred, I want ya back in the house in five minutes." A sudden voice from behind the young boy seemed to growl. He turned his head and sighed heavily, nodding. He and Lovino just started talking too!

"Alfred, I think we need to talk." Lovino spoke, a hard expression on his face. His eyes seemed to focus passed him, lost in multiple thoughts.

"Well I only have five minutes, but okay!" He giggled a bit, just so happy that someone was finally his friend!

"Not here. Can you meet me near the house where Feliciano first attacked you? Do you remember where that was?" The older boy whispered, as if they were being spied on.

Alfred lowered his voice just in case, "Uh-huh, I remember."

"Good, because that's where I live actually. Can you meet me Saturday?" Saturday was in two days, surely he could make it right?

Without hesitation Alfred responded with an excited nod. "Of course I can! I'll be there!"

Lovino finally returned to smiling, although it seemed strained. Did Alfred do something wrong? Oh, maybe he had something on his teeth? He did forget to brush them before he came out. Glancing over Lovino he couldn't help but sigh, why was he so good looking? Alfred wanted clothes that seemed to sparkle, that would release glitter into his hands when touched.

"That's great, you... take care, okay?" Lovino reached over to ruffle his hair, trying to keep as calm an expression as possible. He didn't know much about Alfred's mother, but he could tell she wasn't nice. He already hated her.

"Bye Lovino!" Alfred waved as the boy turned, lifting his hand up to wave in return, not bothering to look back. Alfred watched him leave before also turning around, retreating back into the cave which he was forced to call home.

Except, life really was out to get him. As soon as he opened the door he was tugged inside, hearing the wood slam behind him. He did something wrong. What did he do though? Was he out for more than five minutes? He slowly got back to his feet, having fallen when he was tugged inside so carelessly. He looked up into his mother's eyes, and like always, regretted it. They were filled with anger, with fire.

"I don't want ya hangin' out with that lil' faggot anymore!" She growled, fists clenching at her sides. A ... what? He repeated the new word over in his head a few times, well it wasn't actually new. He'd heard the word before, but never took the chance to find out what it meant.

How could this be! She couldn't just take away the only friend he had! Could she? She was mommy after all, and she was always demanding him not to question her. Except this was different, he never felt something like this before! It was like the pain in his body didn't exist when he talked to Lovino.

Wait, didn't he promise Lovino he'd meet him on Saturday? This was double bad now! How did he expect to see him if he wasn't even allowed outside the house, not even including the fact he wasn't allowed to see him either as of now. He really had to learn to think things through.

"If I ever see you hangin' out with that fag again I'll murder 'im!" His mother snapped once more before stomping away.

And Alfred couldn't help but take into account how true those words could very well be.

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Lovino stared at his brother out in the front yard, thinking to himself. How was Alfred? He sighed and shook his head. He shouldn't be worrying about others before himself, he always did that. Where did it land him? Nowhere. Sure he was only eight, it's not like he could even do much with his life regardless.

Still, he couldn't help but feel sorry for that little boy. Especially his clothes! Goodness, without hairspray and the highest class clothing, Lovino would die! Wait, no this wasn't about him. Still, it wasn't like he had the easiest life either. He moved his eyes from his brother, who was being troublesome while attacking the ground with a shovel, and glanced around the neighborhood. They shouldn't be here. They had the money to move out, didn't they? Or at least one point they did.

He didn't want to believe it, but ever since father was gone, they could feel the money vanishing away. Mother never mentioned it, when could she? She was too busy working two jobs a day. He could guess three jobs would count, but he hated reminding himself of that other "job". No matter how much his mother denied it, he knew she was selling her body for money. Even then, curse it all, they were hardly getting by. Sure father was the biggest jerk in the world, but would it have hurt to keep things as they were?

He had to mentally slap himself, there was no way. Lovino hated him with every fiber of his being. He hurt mother. He hurt him. He hurt Feliciano. Heck, it was his fault his brother was the way he was now. The poor child grew up thinking violence was the answer to everything.

His brother's brain seemed to revolve around pain and who was receiving it. Luckily, Lovino never had such fascination, much to his mother's blessing. He was much more interested in his hair, and how well he could pull off his clothing. When was the last time he obtained a new shirt?...

Focus! He closed his eyes tightly, beginning to grit his teeth. Poor mommy was going through so much hell now that father was gone. He hated using that word, but it was the only way he could descrbe the situation. He wanted to help her, but he had no idea how. He was just a little kid, it wasn't like he could do much. Maybe he could cut back on hairspray? Or Feliciano could stop buying so many knifes. Not that they were even bought with his own money. It was amazing how many kids around here walked around with so much of it.

Yes his brother was the one stealing, and possibly hurting them on certain occasions, but it was partially their fault too. Not that his brother could be excused or anything! He gazed back at the brown, almost red haired boy, who was plucking a worm from the ground. He grimaced at the sight of Feliciano putting it into his mouth. Something was definitely wrong with his head! How were they related?

Ah, but he couldn't blame him. He smiled at Feliciano, shaking his head slowly. He loved him, whether they were complete opossites or not, they were brothers.

No, this all goes back to that demon. He wasn't worth it, whether he provided all the money for the family or not. Lovino rested the side of his head on his arms and let out a heavy sigh, going back to where this all began.

_It was raining outside, thunder was booming, but the screams inside the house were louder._

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Lovino huddled in a corner with his brother, they were the same age of six, but Feliciano seemed so much younger. They both held onto each other as the yelling in the room next to there's increased. They had been watching a movie when Father came in through the front door, his movements a bit shaky. As soon as he stepped in, Lovino's hand had tensed around Feliciano's.

Now here they were, not even a few minutes after his father appeared. He had walked into the kitchen, and there was almost instant yelling.

"You were at the bar again! You said you would stop drinking!" He heard his mother scream.

"You said you would stop being such a bitch!" His father countered, a loud grunt escaping his throat. Lovino didn't have to see what happened next, he could hear it. A loud noise was heard and he could already tell his father had slapped mommy. He hated when he touched her like that, he hated seeing the pain in her eyes.

"Stop it! The children are in the other room!" She screeched, though her voice was obviously faltered from the assault.

"You think I fucking care, Romana? I didn't even want kids! All they do is feed themselves full!"

"You're a heartless man!"

The sound of another slap could be heard, and by now Feliciano had cuddled up closer to Lovino's side.

"What's going on?" The seemingly younger boy whispered, his fists gripping his brother's shirt. Lovino shook his head, not having a response for himself. At least not one that would calm his brother down, or reveal the harsh truth.

Why was this happening? Things looked as if they had patched up between his parents. The two weren't fighting as much, they even seemed to be smiling at one another every now and then. Oh how wrong he was, it made sense now. The tension had been building, and now it was being released. A tension that could be felt twenty streets down probably. Better yet, in the room over.

"You think I like hitting you? It's the only way you'll learn!" The screaming continued from his father, his mother seemed to have quieted to a soft muffled whimper. He was getting mad, he could feel the anger rising to his head. Why did father have to be so mean? Why did he have to make mommy cry? Mommy was so beautiful, she didn't deserve ugly tears streaming down her cheeks.

He wasn't sure what made him stand up, but before he knew it a hand was preventing him from moving forward. "Brother!" Feliciano had cried out, trying to keep a hold on his twin. His hand was soon pulled away and he frowned. "Don't!"

Lovino had begun stomping his way to the kitchen when he froze. He wasn't prepared for this. No six year old could ever be prepared for this sight.

His mother lay sprawled across the floor, a red substance running down her face, arms, legs, anything visible. Lovino knew there was probably more under her clothes. There shouldn't be any there at all though. Nothing in the world made sense. Why was his beautiful mother covered in blood?

His eyes caught shimmering gold ones, his mother's. "Lovino, my baby..."

He began to tremble, hands clenched at his sides. How dare he. How _dare_ he. "Get away from her!" He yelled as loud as he could, which was hard in his current state. He could hear the slight fear in his voice still, and apparently his father could too. He suddenly regretted calling out because his father had turned around in only a second. He did not seem happy.

"You telling me what to do boy? No, you're not even a boy! You act like a fucking girl!" He bellowed, now facing the young boy. Lovino wanted to run away, or fall onto his knees and beg for mercy, however he couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he wanted something so much more.

He wanted mommy to be happy.

So he remained, and he stood up to father. The next few minutes were a blur, but he didn't care. He could feel he was getting slapped, he especially felt it when he was thrown across the room. He felt all the pain, he felt everything. He felt all but one thing; regret.

He remained laying back against the wall after being thrown, not having the energy to apologize if he even wanted to, which he didn't. Darkness seemed to become fond of him as it began taking over his vision. He let out quiet pants, he wondered how air was even entering his system still. Father was strong, he was like a demon.

No, that's exactly what he was, the devil.

Afterwards, another blur of events happened. He wasn't sure what caused it at first, but father had suddenly fell to his knees. He howled in pain, taking out...was that a knife? Lovino had to blink a few times, making sure he wasn't beginning to hallucinate. Yes, that was definitely a knife. Who had thrown it though?

His eyes glanced around the room, his mother had been able to sit up, but she looked just as shocked. He roamed past her, and finally locked gaze on possibly his savior. Feliciano stood by the counter, already another knife in his hands. Did he really have such good aim that he could have thrown it at his father's neck? That wasn't important right now. He had thrown it, he stopped father from delivering another blow to him. Which meant...Which meant he might be after him next!

As if on cue, Lovino snapped his gaze back to reality and noticed his father slowly getting back to his feet. In a panic, he began to scream. "Don't touch him you idota! Bastardo, get away!" He wasn't sure what he was saying, but he was told never to say those words. So if he was lucky, his father would fall for the bait. Sure, he was probably setting up his own death, but... That's his fratello.

And he would do anything to protect him.

"You ignorant brat! What the fuck is wrong with you?! I always knew you belonged in a menta-gahck!" His father suddenly stopped screaming, his voice seeming to choke on his own words. Lovino watched as the man fell to his knees, but he didn't get to see for long.

"Cover your eyes! Both of you!" It was mother. Wait, that meant she was safe! Was she saying something? To close their eyes? He quickly obliged and shut his eyes closed, only hoping his brother was doing the same. There were multiple sounds, many he couldn't place his focus on. All he knew was that he was glad he had closed his eyes. Whatever was going on, it sounded gross. He imagined a large snail making gushing noises as it moved.

"Keep them closed, Feli!" Lovino heard a quiet yelp, guessing his brother had gotten curious. "Quickly, both of you, stay in your room and don't come out until I say so." Lovino felt a gentle, but firm hand on his shoulder and he quickly stood up. He was in all sorts of pain, his back was aching the most though. It almost felt as if someone had tried stepping on it to the point it snapped in half. He did as mommy said though, only opening his eyes as the hand from his shoulder disappeared and he heard his room door close.

He quickly glanced around and blinked a few times, still seeing white spots in his vision. When he finally gained his sight, he noticed a trembling figure on the once neat bed. Feliciano had his face in his hands and was making small whimpering sounds.

"Feli?... Did he hurt you?" Lovino's eyes widened, shuddering slightly. Was he hurt when the other wasn't looking? He noticed Feliciano sniffle a few times before looking up, eyes puffy and red from crying. Now, the blond didn't expect the next few words, nor will he ever forget them.

"We killed him."

* * *

Lovino sighed and shook his head. It was after that day they decided to move, but not only move, leave the country completely. No one expected a mother with twin boys that day at the airport to be murderers. The move was where the rest of their money had gone. Italy was beautiful, but it was now filled with dark memories. Even to this day he isn't sure what his mother did with the body of the demon, but he was glad it was never brought up as well. Wherever it was, it wasn't near them.

Now here they are, in a crappy neighborhood with foul people. Of course, no one here suspects anything. They weren't even sure if anyone found out about their disappearance, or the death.

Who cares though? Life can only go up from here, right? He smiled to himself a bit, watching as his brother rolled in the grass like a wild animal.

"Lovino! Sweetie, are you here?" He heard a sweet voice call out, his grin only growing.

"Coming mommy!" He responded, running away from the window and into his mother's arms. She may be working through hell, but he could tell by the smile on her face that she didn't mind too much. He was gone, and things would get better.

They were happy.


	7. Chapter 7

**I am _so so so_ sorry for not updating this in so long! School is insane right now and it's been hard! Summer is soon though, I promise for (hopefully) more updates then!**

**Quick thank you to the fan art I received on this fanfic, (you know who you are) it warmed my heart to no end! **

**Now enjoy!**

**And remember, reviews are LOVED!**

* * *

Alfred stared up at the ceiling, sighing to himself. He hadn't moved from his bed since yesterday. Which is actually shocking since mother was usually at his neck by now. Literally.

Pushing away the dark humor, he sat up and shook his head. What was he going to do about Lovino? His mother had called him that word. . . _Faggot._ What did it mean? The way she said it made it sound like something bad. He tapped his chin, he couldn't make sense of this. Nothing was wrong with Lovino, so why was his mother so against him?

Sure his friend was _different _in the way he dressed, but that didn't mean anything. Alfred actually wished he could wear such clothing. To be able to stand tall with such clothing on would make him feel so powerful. Like he never existed in this dumb neighborhood to begin with.

_Focus._ What could a five year old do against his mother's command though? Especially _his_ mother. He had no way of calling off the meeting with Lovino either. What did he want to talk about anyway? He looked stressed or worried about something.

Alfred tried thinking of an idea, but didn't get much time as his mother knocked on his door. He sighed heavily once again before sitting up. What did mommy want?

"Y-Yeah?" Alfred called out, tilting his head to the side.

"You're grounded."

Alfred's mouth gaped open, but he said she just ground him? Of all the things she could say after a day of silence, she grounds him? Was she serious? As much as he'd like to ask, he knew he wouldn't even let a peep out. Never disobey mother. So instead he remained quiet, slowly laying back in his bed.

He bit his lower lip as his body trembled, knowing full well how badly he wanted to cry. He couldn't though, maybe that's what mommy wanted. _She wants see how weak I am. _

He was weak, that was the worst part. There was no denying that. He was a mere five year old kid and she was a grown woman with the strength of a lion, it seemed. There was nothing he could do. He could barely stand up as it was, bruises and cuts along his whole body prevented him peace.

So he did all he could do, trapped in that closet he was ashamed to call a room. He fell asleep.

* * *

He wasn't sure what time it was when he awoke. In fact, he didn't want to wake up. His body felt numb and he honestly wanted to rest more.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

He kept his eyes closed.

_Tap. Tap._

Was it raining?...

_Tap._

Finally he decided to open an eye and glance around his room. He sighed, realizing how dark it was. The only light he got was from the small opening in the wall. His mom decided to be a little grateful when changing the disgraceful closet into a bedroom and manage to create, what she called, a window. It was tiny, so tiny he could hardly fit his hand through. Not that he ever tried escaping that way or anything.

He stared at the moonlight gleaming in through the open space, wondering when it had become night. Had he fallen asleep for the whole day? He sighed a bit until he saw something tap against the window. Was that a pebble? What was going on out there? He really didn't want to move, he was still tired. However after contemplating that if the noise continued he'd never be able to sleep, he rolled out of bed.

He walked over to the tiny window, tilting his head to the side. Seriously, what was that? As he finished his thought, another tap could be heard on the screen. He squinted his eyes to check if he could see anything when suddenly the screen was filled with a pair of vibrant pink eyes. Of course seeing this Alfred immediately panicked. What was Feliciano doing out there?!

He took a step back as he heard a small _crack_ above. His gaze being locked on the window, he noticed a line split through it. Was Feliciano breaking it? It's not like he could fit regardless, or at least Alfred hoped. He wasn't really sure what to do at that moment, so he simply stood and stared.

Once a final crack filled the tiny room, shards of glass fell below. It's a good thing Alfred had gotten out of bed, or the sharp ends might have went right through him while he was sleeping! He inhaled sharply, waiting for what was to come.

"Alfred?" A voice whispered, startling the young boy. That wasn't Feliciano. No, it sounded like...

"Lovino?" Alfred responded, eyes widening. He couldn't help the smile that began to spread across his lips. His friend was here! He raised an arm and waved at the boy before realizing how odd the situation was once again. "What are you doing here?"

"Alfred, do you realize anything that has happened the past two days?" Lovino asked, his eyes filled with concern. Alfred had never noticed how pink the blond's eyes were before. He could have sworn his eyes were a nice almond color last time they met. Was he seeing things? Perhaps he just didn't want to think of that magenta shade because he worried he'd see Feliciano on the twin's face.

The past days? All Alfred had been doing was bathing in sadness. He either moped around in his bedroom, or he was sleeping the day away. "No, I've been locked in here! Mommy grounded me," he responded, frowning sadly. Mommy still didn't have to be so harsh.

"It's terrible, Alfred! I came to visit you in that time period, I was scared your mother did something you see, and she..." Lovino trailed off, seeming to bite his lip. It was hard to see in the dark. The nightly shadows seemed to take over the blond's face, making his words that more scary. "She struck me."

Alfred's eyes widened again. He knew what that meant. His mother _hit_ Lovino. She hit his friend. She laid a soiled finger on his clean body. "What?" Alfred just barely managed out, not able to comprehend what he was being told.

"I had my suspicions before, Alfred, but now I'm sure. She abuses you, doesn't she?" Lovino quickly blurted out, ignoring Alfred's question to clarify.

Was this blond insane? He was the one that got hit, yet all he cared for was Alfred's well being? The red head couldn't help the tears that begin to form in his eyes. Never had anyone cared for him this much before. Not even his own mother. Alfred couldn't help coming to one final conclusion about Lovino. He was an angel.

"Alfred! Please, stop spacing out. I want to get you out of there!" Lovino lightly tapped his hand on the inside of Alfred's wall, trying to capture his attention. Ruby eyes glanced up at the older male, full of warmth and sadness all at the same time. "Is there any way that you can come outside?"

Wait, what was Lovino suggesting? That he leave? Just like that? Last Alfred checked he had no money, nobody to come with him, and no friends besides Lovino. Did he forget to mention he was only five? "I can't, I'll wake mommy up."

Lovino shook his head quickly, leaning his face in closer to the now broken window, although careful not to press into any glass. "Do you trust me, Alfred?"

Alfred blinked a few times, keeping his eyes locked on the other's. That was an easy question, "I do."

"Then let's get out of here."

* * *

Alfred had to be very quiet. This was going to be the most dangerous thing he had ever done in his life. If he made one wrong move, if he made any noise at all, he may actually be dead in the new few seconds. The main objective was to get to the front door without waking his mother up. He knew this might very well cost his life, if his mother found out she'd be thrown into a jealous rage. He knew this, but something was pulling him forward. He figured it was the fact that Lovino was his friend and that he trusted him, but it felt like something more.

He felt like if he accomplished this, something very good would come out of it. He couldn't tell what, and maybe he didn't even care. All he knew for sure was that he did have to get out of this house. If he stayed he might not see another day in a year from now. His mother was a ticking time bomb just waiting to fully destroy him.

So here he was, opening his door at the pace of a slug. Lovino didn't mind the wait, he had told Alfred to take as much time as he needed. Five minutes must have passed before Alfred got his door open a reasonable distance, so that he could squeeze past it. This was only the beginning though. He had to be able to pass by the long living room ahead of him. His mother's room door was only a few feet away from his. If he slipped up at all, it was over.

Alfred stepped forward, stressing his eyes through the dark in order to prevent stepping on something he'd regret. After he made it past the first step he froze. He put a hand to his ear, listening to see if he heard anything. The house was silent.

When he confirmed it was safe to move on, he took a few more steps. Each movement seemed to grow a little faster as he came closer to the door. He anticipated the cool air he'd been neglected of for the past days. The door was right in front of him in no time. He grinned and reached forward for the knob, but life wasn't going to let him have it that easy.

As he took his final step towards the door, he heard a light _clink_. He instantly turned his head with exasperated eyes, noticing that he had kicked one of mommy's 'happy juice' bottles. He now stood paralyzed in fear. Even more so when he heard a _click _from behind him. He knew that sound, he knew it was his mother.

When he heard a footstep from behind, his body began working again. His mind remained frozen, but boy his body didn't seem to want to wait. Before he knew it he had gripped the doorknob and swung the door open. A breeze had slapped him straight in the face as soon as he did. He was about to move when a voice stopped him.

"Alfred, get back inside," his mother demanded. Her voice was stern, cocky even. It sounded as if it knew it was going to get what it wanted.

Alfred knew better though. He wasn't that innocent anymore. He was tainted and he knew. He knew that if he turned around and did as she said, he would be beaten senseless. He probably wouldn't see daylight tomorrow. So he did the most reasonable thing to do at that moment, or at least in his mind. He smiled sweetly and turned his head to his mother.

"You're a bully like Feliciano, mommy."

And he was off, he wasn't sure how fast he was running considering he still had short and stubby legs, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He heard a loud yell from behind him, probably his mother. He didn't care though. He mind had shut down completely. It remained so when he saw Lovino's eyes widen from the street the house lead to from the front door. With an expression like that Alfred could guess his mother looked terrifying.

Lovino seemed to snap out of it though when Alfred gripped his hand. He glanced at the younger boy, but decided to ask questions later. Clearly this wasn't the time. So he returned the firm grip on Alfred's hand and ran with him. They ran while a crazy lady behind them was most likely chasing them.

They ran, and ran, and ran.

Alfred never felt more happy in his life.


	8. Chapter 8

**Prepare for feels.**

**Guess what! The 2p FACE family is finally going to appear in the next chapter!**

**I have a question, something I should have asked awhile ago.**

**Do you prefer the 2p's names to remain the same as the original characters _or _do you prefer if I changed them? ****[Ex: Arthur would be Oliver] I might not even change all of them. If I did they'd probably be similar to the original names. [I would find a way to change Lovino and Feli's/a few others in the future.]**

**Whichever you prefer, I'm okay with.  
**

**Enjoy!~**

* * *

The skies were dark as shadows danced across the streets. The only light was from the full moon above, leading two children down a new road. The wind howled and whispered into their ears. They warned the boys, they spoke of danger. Both the young blond and redhead refused to listen to them though.

They were running and there was no stopping them. Their feet ran through small puddles on the ground from the earlier drizzle. They had been running for so long, or at least they thought since neither had a watch to check the time. To people who peeked their head outside and saw them, they were just two children running at night.

However this was so much more to Alfred. He was running away from a monster. This monster who would leave bruises and scars both mentally and physically on him. She was a beast with no limitations. He wasn't just running, he felt like he was flying. Nothing could stop him now, especially not the demon.

"We're almost there," Lovino whispered, clearly running out of breath. Alfred really didn't want to stop running. He wanted to run and run until he couldn't recognize anything near this neighborhood. Of course, he too was getting tired.

"Where we going?" Alfred responded, making the mistake of turning to look at the blond. There really was no way he could have noticed the pole he headed into. Honestly, it must have just got up and walked in front of him. There was no other explanation. He didn't say anything when Lovino screeched and knelt down to help him though.

"A-Alfred! Oh my goodness, you have to be careful!" Lovino sputtered, shaking his head and helping the younger boy sit up. "Does it hurt?"

His response came when Alfred looked up at him with wide eyes, tears forming in them. It wasn't long before he began to start crying, his body trembling as he did. "Th-The mean pole hit me!" Was all he could scream as he began to hug his knees. Lovino smiled sadly. Alfred was still a baby, he was only five after all.

Unlike Alfred, he was a big boy. Seven is a big boy's number!

The Italian boy ran his fingers through Alfred's nappy hair and made a slightly disgusted face. He had a comb that could fix that.

Alfred eventually tired down to sniffling, holding his jaw while his bottom lip continued to quiver. "I-It hurts," he whispered. It really did, it felt like someone took a baseball bat and swung it at his mouth. The image stood in his head. It was one of the only times he had smiled in his life before meeting Lovino.

Last year Alfred had just wandered to the living room window. His mother wasn't home at the time and he had no chores to do. He may have only been four, but his mother had made him do chores since he was three. He decided to watch the people outside, but what he saw was something completely new.

There were around ten boys outside in what seemed to be a tilted square formation. In the middle of the square was another boy with a small white ball in his hand. Four other children filled the other corners. One boy stood in the back of the rest. A final boy was crouching down behind another while the other three watched from the sidelines. The male across from the one with the ball was holding something.

Alfred had no idea what it was, but boy did it look cool! It looked like a long wooden stick, but smoother. He wondered if it was a magical wand or something, but then shook the thought away. His mother always said magic was 'stupid'. After some time he heard the chanting of, "Hey batter batter! Hey batter batter! SWING!"

Batter? Swing? What strange words. Alfred continued to watch as the ball was thrown and the kid with the cool wooden stick seemed to swing his arms forward. He missed the ball though. The children on the sidelines began to laugh, their chanting of, "Hey batter batter!' getting louder.

The weird game went on with another miss of the ball and another eruption of laughter. Alfred wondered if the kid would ever be able to hit the ball. Maybe that was how you won the game? He had sighed and almost looked away from the game until _**crack**_! He snapped his eyes up just in time to see a white ball soaring through the skies. When he looked back at the spot the boy was before, there only remained the wooden stick. He turned his head to catch him running over to one of the spots another boy was in.

Ruby eyes traveled to the white sphere again in order to see it bouncing on the ground as the one boy who wasn't in any particular spot tried to run after it. When he finally caught it in his hands he through it to another player, but the boy who swung was already standing confidently in place. Alfred couldn't help but smile that he had hit it, even after the distracting chant.

He later learned that the game they were playing was called baseball.

"Alfred, you have to get up. We're almost there," Lovino snapped the young child back to reality.

"Where are we going?" Alfred asked, licking the blood from his busted lip. It tasted bitter, but by the way Lovino looked at him it was probably creeping the other out if it were to keep dripping down his chin. Lovino had been saying they were almost there for awhile now, so what was the big deal?

Lovino bit hit bottom lip and glanced away. He really didn't want to tell Alfred.

After watching the Italian for a moment longer, he realized he wasn't going to answer him. Alfred didn't give up so easily though, he pressed on. "Lovino?"

"Alfred, you're not going to like this but," Lovino sighed, "I can't stay with you."

The sky seemed to darken further as the words sunk into Alfred's head. The loud wind from earlier had vanished and it suddenly felt like breathing was a chore. Lovino wasn't staying with him? He was his friend though... What would he do without him?

"Wha-"

"Alfred, I have to go back to my family," Lovino interrupted, feeling his own heart sink. He didn't want to leave Alfred. He had to go back to his own mommy though! She needed him, and he needed her. Alfred was different, he didn't need his mommy. He didn't deserve to be beaten all the time. He felt like the younger male couldn't see that though.

"Where are you taking me then?" Alfred was about to start crying all over again, and Lovino could see that. The blond's arms wrapped around the other's waist as he brought him onto his lap.

"Do you want to be happy, Alfred?" He muttered, leaning his head on the red hair in front of him. Alfred nodded slowly and relaxed in his grip. Figuring that he stopped the burst of tears about to appear, he continued. "I know these people that will make you very happy!"

Curious now, Alfred turned his head slightly to look at the pink eyes in the dark. There wasn't any sign that he should mistrust the other.

After a few seconds of silence, Lovino got the hint that Alfred wanted him to go on. "I met them a little while ago, or at least their son. At first sight they don't seem like they'd make the perfect family, but ..." Lovino pondered for a moment. "They would at least be better than that she-devil."

A new family? Is this what Lovino was suggesting? Alfred let his thoughts wander for a good few minutes. Would Lovino even let him return to his mommy at this point? Wait, did he even want to go home? Of course not. He'd be beaten all over again, and this whole thing would have been pointless! He held his head and squirmed on Lovino's lap. Finally he decided to ask the only question he had, one that seemed much more important than anything else.

"Will they like me?" It was the only thing that worried him. The only question that seemed to control his mind. Mommy obviously didn't like him, and that's why she hit him, right? So maybe if they actually liked him, he wouldn't be hit! Maybe they might even _love_ him!

Lovino couldn't help it, he began giggling loudly. He couldn't stop! This boy, this young child who was nothing more than an abused rag doll back home filled his heart with such warm feelings.

"Who wouldn't like you, Alfred?"

That was all he needed.

* * *

The two were walking again, having finally cleaned off all the blood from Alfred's lip. He had agreed to see this new family. What else he could he do? He did notice that they had begun walking slower though. Was Lovino that tired?

Lovino knew their pace had slowed down. Earlier they were running like cheetahs, and now they were no faster than a turtle. Why? Simple, he knew. He knew their time together was ending. Soon they would be at a path that lead to a new town. As much as he would have loved to walk Alfred the whole way, he couldn't. Last time he was there, it was chaos. He was too different. He took in a deep breath and tried to clear his head. There wasn't any time for that.

The time passed by too fast when both boys came to a complete stop. Alfred wasn't sure why they stopped until he noticed Lovino looking up at a large sign. It was a wooden one, those that barely appeared. It sort of looked like it came out of a story book with a haunted house. He followed Lovino's gaze to the words on the sign, but he couldn't read them himself.

"I have to go, Alfred." Lovino turned his head to gaze at his young friend. It was time.

"W-What?" Alfred frowned once again, looking up at him. "I don't see a house!"

"I can't walk you the full way," he cringed, "for reasons."

"Why?"

"Reasons."

Alfred was just about to throw himself at the boy, but he didn't need to. Lovino had lunged at him, wrapping his arms around the other. He froze for a moment before returning the tight hug. Lovino was his first friend. His _best_ friend.

"I-If you walk down this path, you'll enter a new town. When you get there, find the nicest looking person quickly and ask for the Bonnefoy or Kirkland house, u-understand?" It was obvious that Lovino had been crying.

"O-Okay!" Alfred responded, having began to sob himself. This was really it.

Lovino slowly pulled away, knowing if he spent anymore time here, the higher chance he was to get in trouble when he got home. As well as the bigger risk it was for Alfred to get hurt.

"I'll n-n-never forget you, Lovino!" Alfred wailed, not quite able to pull himself away from the boy.

Lovino softly patted his head, tears streaming down from his magenta eyes. "Never, Alfred. We'll meet again, I promise!" Oh how he hoped he could believe his own words.

When Alfred finally retreated his arms, they simply stood and stared at each other for a moment. Lovino knew this would have to happen. When he had been debating whether or not to help Alfred out of the living hell house he was in, this was the only thing keeping him back. The clock finally seemed to stop in his mind, and time no longer mattered.

He took a step back, knowing if he didn't move now, he would break down crying again. "Goodbye, Alfred."

"B-Bye, Lovino!"

The blond turned around and began running. This time he had to drag his legs.

Alfred watched him until he was out of sight. He was alone again. Lovino was gone.

He slowly looked at the path with slanted eyes, as if it was the road's fault. He gazed away and past the sign, looking out into the open. He took in this moment from detail to detail. Behind him was the neighborhood he was born in and raised. It was where his mother stood, possibly happy that he was gone. He did make daddy leave after all.

He strained his eyes when he noticed the dark sky was beginning to change colors. The sun was rising and he was in the middle of nowhere he knew. Knowing nothing else to do, he took a step forward. He was going to follow the path, it's what Lovino wanted.

Alfred would never forget Lovino.


	9. Chapter 9

**Holy chapter! Wow, this is to make up for my slow updates. **

**I read the reviews from the last chapter [thank you for reviewing by the way] and understood the majority of you wanted the names kept the same.**

**That's fine with me! I did however do a slight change with Arthur, but I tried to make it work. I hope you don't mind! **

**Anyway, I hope there aren't too many mistakes in this chapter. It was tedious to edit so I sort of gave up. [I don't usually have many mistakes without editing anyway.]**

**Enjoy the chapter!~ Many 2p's introduced! Remember, Reviews are _loved!_**

**_OH! Before I forget!_**

**_Note: Implied 2p FrUK in this chapter. [I will be updating the Summary with this.]_**

* * *

This town looked weird, or at least to Alfred it did. Many of the houses were pushed together and the way they were set up almost looked as if they were frowning at the young boy. The windows almost seemed lopsided, as if the houses had just finished melting. They all seemed brown or a dull red. It made him think of what would happen if all the houses in his neighborhood would look like smashed together.

He made it down the path just minutes ago. It wasn't much of a hassle, besides the part when he fell over a lone twig. He wasn't paying attention though, so it was his fault. His mind was too focused on what was ahead. Well, he was here now.

He glanced about and let out a soft sigh. What was he doing here? He was alone and definitely scared. His legs were trembling along with his arms. What had Lovino said to do once he arrived? _Ask for the Kirkland or Bonnefoy family._

Who were these people? Alfred hoped he didn't leave a bad first impression on them. Heck, he wished they even let him stay for starters. They had to take him in right? He was a little boy with nowhere else to go! Besides, Lovino wouldn't send him to a place where he would be refused. Would he? No, that wasn't Lovino at all.

Alfred took a step forward hesitantly. He glanced down the streets, they were as gray and dull as the houses. The ground almost seemed like squished ghouls. In a town like this it wouldn't be a bad guess either. There were cars zooming by, startling Alfred every few minutes. They all seemed as if they were being chased by something undesirable, or like they were running for their lives.

It wasn't like Alfred was scared of all that though, that would have been silly. He came all this way to escape his own demon, he had nothing more to lose. It wasn't like he had any money to have stolen from him. What did he have left to give? His life, perhaps. He wasn't going to let that sink in his head though. Besides, death wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either. Maybe the world would accept him as one of those angel things.

Alfred tried to seek out the friendliest looking face around. So few people walked up and down the sidewalk though, they began to look the same.

"Man, I'm going to party so hard tomorrow!" A man nearby said. Alfred leaned up against one of the brick walls nearby and turned his head to look at him. Wait, that...that man looked weird. He had a nice shade of brown hair, almost a sort of orange. His hair was tied back in a ponytail and hung over his shoulder. He had on a baggy pair of brown jean shorts that went down to his knees. He also had on a black leather jacket and finally some really shiny red sneakers.

"Elizabeta, calm yourself dear!" Said another ... man? Yes, Alfred was pretty sure that was a man. This one had long orange hair also tied in a ponytail. He was wearing some funky clothing. A long white jacket with a bright orange shirt and black pants underneath. It looked really weird and out of whack to Alfred. Especially in a neighborhood like this!

"Roderich come on! You have to admit this party tomorrow is going to be wicked! Artie and Francis know how to get down! Remember last year when he poisoned his cup-"

"How could I forget? He nearly sent us all to the hospital!" Roderich giggled happily, almost skipping in his next few steps.

Alfred pursed his lips. Well they were freaky, but they didn't look dangerous. Alfred considered walking up to them but the brown haired man, Elizabeta, looked a bit scary. He also sounded weird, almost like a girl and boy mixed together. It creeped Alfred out!

So instead he kept glancing around. There had to be nicer looking people around here. He took a deep breath before disconnecting from his place on the brick wall. He continued to step down the long sidewalk, checking both ways before crossing the street. Most children, he guessed, probably crossed the street with their parents. Alfred learned to cross the street about a year ago when he was four. The first time really scared him, he was terrified a car would come out of nowhere and he'd be flattened down to a pancake.

That didn't happen though, clearly. He was glad or else he'd be stuck on the same block for hours possibly! Just waiting for someone to come! However, that wasn't the case. He could walk around and take action. He turned his head from side to side, eyes darting around the town. Some people looked mean, some looked decent, and some probably looked nice in general. Alfred was just too scared to go up to them.

He eventually began tiring out and deciding to sit on the ground for a few minutes. He leaned up against a light pole and rested his head on it. The sun was pretty high up in the sky by now, he could only guess it was around nine in the morning. Maybe that's why there weren't many people out in the streets. Unlike his mother, maybe these people had a real job. Like one in those big offices Alfred heard about in stories from the children he would snoop on. This neighborhood was clearly different from where he was born. Although the houses matched in dullness, there was another feeling here. Something he could never feel inside his previous household.

Alfred tried to put his finger on it. What was this feeling? It had to be something.

He didn't notice it, but his eyelids began to droop. He hadn't slept all night, Lovino woke him up pretty early in order to escape. While he was grateful to escape his witch of a mother, he would have appreciated a bit more sleep. Of course there was also the problem of finding this family he was seeking as well. Where could they be?

"Hey kid," a voice suddenly swept him away from his thoughts. Alfred's eyes opened up fully as he tilted his head upward. In front of him stood a tall man. He had neatly combed blond hair, ruby eyes, a nice red dress shirt on, black pants, and a fancy pair of black shoes. The young boy couldn't help but wonder if Valentines Day was his favorite holiday. Alfred couldn't help but freeze up though, would this man hurt him?

"Are you okay, little man? I hope you are, because if you're not that would be really bad! Goodness, you're not hurt, right?" The blond spitted out, his words smacking Alfred in the face. Wow, didn't he enjoy to talk?

"I-I'm okay, mister." Alfred responded, forcing a smile to calm the other's nerves.

It seemed to work because the other did smile. "Hey, that's good! My name is Berwald, nice to meet you. What are you doing out here alone? Is your mommy around?"

Alfred bit his lower lip and wondered whether or not he should tell the truth to this stranger. Although he did know his name, so that technically didn't make him a stranger anymore, right?

"M-My name is Alfred. My mommy is at h-home," he decided to whisper instead, hoping Berwald caught on.

Mr. Valentine, as Alfred would nickname the man, shifted onto one leg and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sleeping? Well then what are yo-"

"I ran away."

"Ah," Berwald nodded his head, "believe it or not that happens a lot around here. You're a pretty tough kid though. Most who run away are usually around twelve or even teenagers. You look like you're no older than seven!"

"A-Actually, I'm five." Alfred really didn't consider the possible consequences of telling his age. Or perhaps he didn't care anymore.

"Whoa! That's...That's rough." Mr. Valentine crouched down and reached a hand forward, placing it on Alfred's shoulder. The red head flinched slightly, but otherwise didn't attempt to shrug him off. "Why did you run away?"

"She was mean to me. She was a bully."

Berwald nodded once again, patting his shoulder softly. "What do you plan to do?"

Oh, right! How could Alfred have forgotten? Maybe this man could help him!

"Oh!" Alfred quickly mumbled over the names a few times before staring directly into the other's eyes. "Mister, do you know the B-Bonnefoy o-or Kirkland f-family?"

Berwald seemed to think about it for a moment, staring back at the kid. This strange kid who at only five, decided to run away from home. One who was most likely born in the horrible suburbs nearby. It took a few minutes before it finally clicked in his head.

"Oh yes! I know them, strange family. Why are you seeking them?" As if he had to ask, he already knew.

"I-I ..." Alfred trailed off, not having the confidence to tell his goal out loud. Was it really such a big deal anyway? Why did the man have to know? "C-Can you please show me?"

Mr. Valentine cracked a smile and let out a tiny sigh. This happened way too often for his taste. Although he had to admit, helping this child would make him really happy. He was so young and he had a future ahead of him.

"Of course I will," and with that the blond stood up and offered a hand out to the young American. Alfred couldn't believe it! This man was going to help him! He grinned from ear to ear, placing a hand in Berwald's as he was pulled up. "They don't live too far from here, actually they live a few blocks down!" What luck!

"Th-thank you so much, B-Berwald!" Alfred's bottom lip quivered, not believing his luck at the moment. Could this really be happening? He was going to meet them!

"No problem, kid! Now come on, before you get trampled by the people on their early lunch breaks." Alfred nodded quickly, raising an arm to wipe away the threatening tears in his eyes.

Both of them began walking the opposite way Alfred had been heading before. It was a good thing he stopped when he did, or this would be more of a hassle.

"So Alfred, when is your birthday?" Berwald asked as they walked, hand in hand. Much like a father and their child would, if the father didn't walk out on the child when they were a baby. Like Alfred's father did.

"M-My birthday?" What a strange question! Honestly, he wasn't too sure. He never celebrated his birthday, so it was hard to keep track. Since he was two, all he remembered hearing on his birthday from his mother was, 'Congratulations on ruining my life for another fuckin' year.'

"I-I think it's on July f-fourth," Alfred muttered, still not too sure himself. If it wasn't, he was sticking with the date anyway. He could create a new birth day.

"July Fourth, eh?" Berwald arched a brow. Alfred wasn't too sure why though. It must not have been anything special, right? Suddenly Alfred brought both his eyebrows together. He noticed something in Berwald's voice that he didn't hear before. This man did not sound American!

"B-Berwald, why do you sound like that?" Alfred hoped that didn't sound _too_ rude.

"What? Oh! My accent, maybe? I'm Swedish. Well, I only actually lived in Sweden for awhile. I moved here when I was around sixteen. Ah, great America! Land of the free, home of the brave! I know some people come here only to dislike it, but I think they're really sill, you know? I mean, how could you hate it here? Sure, it has its faults. Doesn't every country though?" Berwald babbled on, taking the topic quite seriously.

Alfred wasn't sure where Swedish people were from, but he liked their candy fish.

The rest of the walk continued on with Berwald chatting up a storm. Alfred didn't mind though, it wasn't like many people talked to him to begin with. It was nice to hear for a change, or for that matter hear someone that wasn't screaming all the time. Well, the Swedish man was certainly loud, but that was okay. His voice meant no harm.

Along the way Alfred saw a few more people. Some were hanging up clothing outside, others were talking to their neighbor, and a few kids were even playing. Not the playing like what Alfred saw in his old neighborhood. These kids didn't push each other until someone ended up bruised up. No, these kids lightly tapped each other's shoulders and arms before running away. That was it. There was no shoving, hitting, bruising, and certainly no blood.

Alfred wished he could ask them to play.

Berwald suddenly froze in place, much to Alfred's surprise. When the young boy turned his head to see why, his eyes widened. In front of them was a house that differed from the rest. For starters, it looked like it was disconnected from the others and was much larger. In fact, there was a small pathway up to the house. Alfred was dumbfounded that he didn't notice the lack of houses to his sides while they were walking. Second of all, the whole house was bright pink!

It was like nothing Alfred had ever seen before. It was huge and decorated with flowers and what resembled giant lollipops. The windows on either side of the house were open. One to the right of where Alfred was standing had what seemed to be a freshly baked pie on it. The scent traveled up Alfred's nose. It smelled delicious! He couldn't put his finger on what flavor it could be though.

The front door was a darker shade of pink with a purple mat in front of it labeled, 'Welcome!' with red hearts all around it. It really was a sight and Alfred didn't think he'd believe such a house existed without seeing it for himself! Alfred didn't even notice that his jaw had dropped, not until Berwald pointed it out that is.

Once Alfred lowered his gaze and shut his gaping mouth, the man spoke, "Well, here we are! Kirkland residence!" Alfred trailed his eyes to the blonds, finding slight comfort that they were the same color as his were. He wasn't some demon like his mother made him think he was at times. He couldn't be, not with someone like Berwald who was so nice having the same eye color.

"Hey, Artie!" Berwald called out, stepping up onto the welcoming mat and tapping the door.

A voice behind the door responded, "Coming!" It sounded cheerful.

A few steps were here and Alfred couldn't help but begin to tremble and hide behind Berwald's leg. This was it. It was happening.

The doorknob twisted and the door flew open, revealing one heck of a ...man. He had pink hair, much like the house, and a striped pink and red sweater on. He also wore plain white sweatpants and the same color pair of socks. He had a bowl in his hand, mixing whatever was inside with a large wooden spoon. The thing that caught Alfred's attention the most though, were his eyes. They didn't seem to be just one color. They were a mixture of sky blue and bright pink. It reminded him of cotton candy for reason.

"Hey, Artie!" Berwald grinned, waving to the other man who was a lot shorter than him. Really, the Swedish man looked like a giant in comparison!

"Oh I told you to call me Oliver! Then again, I suppose even Artie is better than that nasty name I was born with. I mean, who gives a baby such a name like Arthur? Tch! It sounds so grumpy!" The man suddenly paused in his tracks, his eyes wandering over to look at the boy behind Berwald. "Oh? Oh my, who is that?"

Mr. Valentine's smile grew sheepish as he reached behind to pat Alfred's head. "That's why I'm here, Oliver. Can I come inside?"

Oliver tilted his head to the side, going over the possible reasons for this child being here. Was he like Matthew, perhaps? He finally nodded his head and took a few steps back to allow them in. Alfred hesitated when Berwald gave him a light pat on the back to move, but did walk inside. What if the man thought he was a bad kid because he couldn't stop shaking like a big baby? What if he lost his chances of getting a new family?

Berwald placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder to try and soothe him. He was shaking like he'd just seen a ghost! When he sat down on one of Oliver's magenta couches, Alfred mimicked him.

Oliver decided to sit across from them on a (pink) wooden chair he dragged over. He sat down and smiled at the other two, having put his bowl somewhere when Alfred wasn't paying attention.

"Please explain, Berwald?" Oliver asked, glancing over at Alfred.

Berwald inhaled deeply before speaking. "I'm not really sure myself. I found this kid about half an hour ago on the sidewalk, leaning up against one of the poles. His name is Alfred, and he's five years old. He ran away from home because of his "mean" mother, and that's all I know. He said he was looking for your family though."

Oliver arched an eyebrow in question, but Berwlad could supply no more information. He didn't even know the kid's last name.

"Well, Alfred," Oliver turned his head and smiled brightly, "I'm Arthur Oliver Kirkland. However, I prefer Oliver if you don't mind. Arthur doesn't fit me, don't you think?"

Not exactly knowing what else to do Alfred nodded quickly, clenching his fists on his lap. He wanted to impress this man, so he offered a shaky hand out. "I-I'm Alfred Jones, i-it's nice to meet you!" Oh how terrible could life be? He began to hiccup. This man probably thought he was stupid!

Instead, Oliver began to giggle. It sounded weird coming from a grown man, but then again Oliver seemed to be a strange man. "Oh dear, you've got the hiccups! How precious!"

Alfed just blinked at him, really unsure of what to say.

"Who sent you, dearie?" The pink man said in a soft and calming voice.

"M-My friend, Lovino! H-He said, I-I should look for you!" Alfred yelped, hiccuping along the way.

"Oh my, Lovino did? What a charming child he was! I'm glad he didn't forget about us. His mother and I used to work in the same job, you see. However as time went on she had to change jobs because she wanted more than one, and the one with me simply wasn't paying all that she needed. It must be tough being a single mother, poor thing." Oliver sighed heavily.

Single mother? The American didn't know about this. Was that why Lovino seemed to tense up at the conversation about his father?

"Enough of that, though. Can you tell me why you're here, Alfred?" The other man cocked his head to the side, colorful eyes seeming to almost swirl.

Alfred knew the answer already, so he was quick to respond. "I want to have a family. I want to be happy."

He could have sworn he saw a hint of pain in Oliver's eyes. They seemed like they understood exactly what Alfred was saying. So there was only one unspoken question remaining. Could he provide him with that?

The three of the males sat in silence for a few minutes, the question lingering in the air perhaps. Until finally Oliver cleared his throat. "I'd love to have you, Alfred."

There were no words for the sudden rush that filled Alfred. It was as if the world decided to break into half and reveal nothing but sunshine and rainbows on the inside. He was no longer on Earth. He was in a much better place now. This wasn't the corrupted world he grew up in, no. He was.. He was in that place called Heaven. Was he dead? Was he finally an angel? He didn't care if he was or noot. Right now, he felt something he didn't think he'd ever feel. Tears, but not sad ones, happy tears. He was crying tears of joy.

Whatever made him stand up and pounce Oliver was beyond him. All he knew was that wrapping his arms around the other and sobbing into his shirt, and possibly ruining it, was the best feeling in the world. Or so he thought, until Oliver actually returned the hug. He didn't have to say anything, Alfred could feel it. This was a promise.

Meanwhile, Berwald seemed to be having his own trouble with onions as he sniffled and wiped at his eyes, pretending dust got in them.

Both Alfred and Oliver stood in that position for a long while until Berwald finally stood up. "I think I'll search for someone who can help you with the adoption papers, alright?" Oliver tilted his head up and smiled at the man, nodding quietly. He didn't want to disturb Alfred's moment of happiness.

As the Swedish man left and gently closed the door behind him, Alfred picked up his head. He was finally dry of tears when he looked up at his new...father. Yes, that's what this was. Oliver was his dad! The one he never had.

Except if Oliver was the dad, then where was his new mommy? Alfred decided to look around the room, wondering if he'd missed anyone while he was walking in. The room was empty of any other people though.

"Is something wrong, dearie?" Oliver cooed, running his fingers through Alfred's wrecked hair. He will have to take a day in order to fix the poor child's wild boy look.

"I-If you're my new daddy, d-do I have a new mommy?" Alfred whispered in response, returning the other's look.

The man couldn't help but giggled once again, shaking his head. "Oh my, Alfred, no. Unfortunately you won't be getting a new mommy. However, you will be having two fathers."

Alfred blinked a few times. How was that possible?! "T-Two dads? How?"

"Ah, you'll understand one day, I can only hope." Was his only response, figuring Alfred would learn on his own. As if on cue, the front door opened.

Alfred turned his head and wondered if Berwald had left something, but the red clothed man wasn't who was at the door. Instead stood a tall man, not as tall as Berwald, but still tall who looked down at Alfred with an arched brow. He had blond hair down to his shoulder and stubble all around his chin. He wore a purple shirt which seemed to be unbuttoned without a care, and black pants. Wow, the people in this town sure enjoyed black pants, huh? He had gleaming purple eyes with dark bags under them.

What's more was what was by his legs. It was a boy, about Alfred's age. He also had long blond hair, but his was tied up. He had what resembled a sort of lumberjack shirt on and blue pants. He also had purple eyes and Alfred wondered if the two were related because of it.

"Oliver, what the hell is this?" The other man spoke, his voice sort of raspy. Oliver let out a long sigh and stood up, patting Alfred's head to comfort him.

"Francis, we should talk. In the kitchen, alone. This here is Alfred and he'll be living with us for now on." Oliver kept a calm tone, pursing his lips slightly to tell he meant business.

Francis darted his eyes from Oliver back to Alfred, to Oliver once again. He grunted before walking away, presumably to the kitchen. Oliver followed him. So only Alfred and the other young boy were left.

The two boys blinked at one another, glancing the other over and analyzing. The blond huffed and closed the front door, taking a few steps toward the red head.

"Who are you?" He asked, as Alfred noticed he was missing a tooth.

"I'm Alfred," he responded, "who are you?"

"I'm Matthew!" He grinned suddenly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you like, my brother now?"

Alfred had to blink a few more times before nodding slowly. "I-I think so."

"You're pretty weird looking!"

Alfred pouted at that, shifting onto one leg. "T-To be fair, y-you look weird too."

Matthew seemed surprised at the response, probably not expecting it from the shy and quiet boy in front of him. However he soon began laughing. "I like you, new brother! You're pretty neat, Al!"

Alfred smiled sweetly, "I like you too, b-brother."

As the two boys continued to converse, Francis suddenly stomped passed them. Alfred gazed at the seemingly angry man as he took loud steps up the stairs, that Alfred didn't even notice before. A door slammed from up above and both boys flinched.

Oliver entered the room next, looking quite tired. "Ah, he's just a meanie. He'll come around. For now, Alfie, let's take you a bath alright?" Oliver chimed, offering a bright grin.

Alfie? He had never been called that before. He would have been beaten up being called that in his old neighborhood. Oh, but he wasn't there anymore. He was far from there in his mind. He actually had a family now! He couldn't be any happier! He didn't just have one daddy, he had two! Sure, one seemed a bit mean, but the other was super nice! That wasn't it though, he also had a brother! How could things get any better?

Alfred let out a happy sigh and turned his head to look out the still open windows. The sun was high in the sky now, most likely afternoon. It shone down on the other houses and the town changed. While earlier it looked dull, now it seemed like the houses were coming to life. It was then that Alfred understood. He understood what he was feeling in this town.

He was feeling hope.

* * *

Quick notes:

Elizabeta is female [2p Hungary if you must] however Alfred thinks she's a guy due to the way she's dressed.

And Oliver is Arthur's middle name in this, but since he hates the name Arthur, he prefers to be called Oliver. Okay?~


	10. Chapter 10

**I am not happy about this chapter. I rushed it, and it might possibly be clear that I did. I'm sorry...!**

**Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALFRED/AMERICA! (And happy late birthday to Matthew/Canada too!)  
**

**And to answer a question from the precious reviews: Yes there will be a time skip, sooner or later. This is a 2p USUK story after all!**

**Enjoy! Remember, reviews are appreciated!~**

* * *

Alfred really didn't know what he was expecting when he entered the large bathroom. There was so much pink everywhere, he briefly questioned if he was feeling sick and seeing things. It looked nice, but goodness it was literally everywhere! The towels were pink and fluffy looking, there was a mat that looked equally as poofy, and even the curtains had a salmon color to them. So far the only thing in this bathroom that wasn't pink were the walls and sink, both which were white.

"Alright Alfie," Oliver began as he closed the bathroom door and crouched down, "can you take your clothes off so I may bathe you?" He smiled sweetly as Alfred quickly obliged, slipping out of all his raggedy clothes. Oliver let out a small sigh as he trailed his eyes over the young American's body. It was covered in bruises that would probably only be noticeable up close due to his tanned skin. He quickly averted his gaze when Alfred caught him looking.

Alfred shifted from side to side, biting his lower lip. He knew his body didn't look very appealing with all the times it has been beaten. He hoped Oliver didn't mind! He didn't want to be discarded! Oliver wasn't a bad guy though, right? So far all he has done is care for him!

"Alright Alfie, come here baby." Oliver whispered, lifting the little boy into his arms and holding him up with one. His other hand extended out to turn one of the knobs in the tub, switching between hot and cold water until it was perfectly warm. "Is this good for you dear?" The petite man lowered himself so that Alfred could reach his hand out and feel the water. After a quick nod from the boy, he placed him in the tub. He decided to kneel down and begin humming a soft tune.

Alfred watched as the tub quickly filled up with water. He couldn't help but slowly grow tired. The water was so warm! He had never felt such a nice temperature in a tub before. When he was with his mother all he bathed in was cold water, and that was when he was lucky. When was the last time he even stepped in water before this? Probably a week ago.

"Do you want bubbles?" Oliver tilted his head to the side, lightly scrubbing Alfred's skin with a rag rubbed with soap.

Alfred blinked a few times before arching both brows. "B-Bubbles?"

The pink man grinned and reached under the sink cabinet, gripping a bottle and taking it out. It too was of course a fuchsia color. Alfred stared as Oliver leaned over and begin squirting out the substance in the bottle into the tub. As soon as he closed the bottle back up the water was already blooming with white fizzy...bubbles.

Alfred's eyes widened and he couldn't help but squeak and jump up when the bubbles began forming closer to him. They tickled his skin and he smiled a bit. He wasn't sure how this was possible, but he was glad it was! The bubbles just kept growing higher and higher until his whole body was covered in them.

Oliver giggled quietly to himself before there was a knock at the door that made them both turn their heads. "Daddy, Mr. Ox...Ox... Berwald is on the phone!" Matthew spoke from beyond the door, groaning while trying to pronounce the man's last name. Why was it so difficult?

"Oh, Alfred keep scrubbing at your hair okay?" Oliver flashed him a smile before standing up and rubbing his hands on a towel that hung from a rack. He slipped out of the bathroom, leaving the door open much to Alfred's misfortune. He watched as the other grabbed the phone from the young blond and walked away, already chatting into it.

Alfred did as Oliver said and ran his fingers through his hair, lightly scrubbing his scalp. He stopped when Matthew decided to step in though.

"Hey new brother!" He grinned, a few of his baby teeth missing. Alfred smiled nervously in return, hesitantly waving. "Wow! You look a lot nicer without all that nasty dirt on your face! It really looked gross, I didn't even want to touch you!"

Alfred wasn't sure whether to thank the other or be offended. He instead opted to remain quiet and wait out the awkward silence that filled the air.

"Um, you know, you're pretty cute!" The blond suddenly claimed, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to casually look away.

"W-What?" Alfred felt like he'd just been slapped, except not really. He knew that feeling all too well. This was a mental slap more like it. "Huh?"

"Ha ha! See you around loser!" Matthew grinned another toothy smile, darting out of the bathroom. Alfred blinked a few times. What was all that about?

By the time Oliver returned Alfred was rubbing his scalp red. "Oh my, that took longer than expected! I'm terribly sorry dearie!" Oliver skipped inside, quickly crouching down by the tub again. He seemed to be staring at Alfred a little more than usual, and not with a fond look like earlier. It wasn't a bad look either, it seemed mostly interested. "Let's get that soap out of your hair, hm?"

Alfred nodded and smiled, letting out a happy sigh of relief when Oliver cupped his hands and poured water over his head. The warm water flowed down his body and it felt so _nice. _He wondered if he was a cat if he would be purring. Wait, cats don't like water.

"Alright, I think that's enough!" Oliver chimed as he reached over to turn the water off. Alfred couldn't help but frown and wave at the bubbles as they slowly disappeared into a vortex along with the water. Oliver apparently thought this was funny because he began giggling up a storm. "Precious!" Soon Alfred was being lifted once again, but this time he was being wrapped in a towel.

He made a comforting noise as he leaned his head on Oliver's shoulder. He considered for a moment if Oliver would be mad about his wet hair dripping onto the other's shirt, but quickly waved the thought away. Oliver was a really nice man.

Alfred nuzzled into his neck after awhile as the man bounced out of the bathroom (quite literally) and into another room. This one actually wasn't pink. It was red and white. Sure red wasn't far off pink, but it was different either way.

"Heeeyyyyy, what are you doing in my room?" Matthew tilted his head. Alfred noticed he was sitting on a bed designed with a... flag? Yes, those looked like flags. What flag though? It certainly wasn't American. As far as he remembered, the American flag didn't have a giant leaf in the middle of it. Or maybe it did, he never really bothered to look.

After being lowered onto said bed (right next to Matthew which made Alfred awfully uncomfortable) Oliver turned away and crouched down by a drawer. "Well Alfie is your new brother, dearie! You have to learn to share now!"

Matthew frowned a bit before grinning. "So does that mean he's going to be sleeping with me too?"

Oliver giggled, but it wasn't like his usual giggles. It was more... stressed out? Alfred couldn't really tell. What he did know was that Matthew was looking straight at him. He tightened the towel around him for safety. Wait, safety from what? He was family now!

He loosened the towel as the thought smacked him. He must have let go too much though because his towel fell off his shoulders and he sat there completely bare. He felt his face grow red. Oh no, why was Matthew still staring?

Alfred began silently praying (something Natalia often talked about although he never really saw the point of whispering to the air) that Oliver turned around soon. And as if on cue the petite man did, standing back up with a pile of clothes. "Let's get you dressed up!"

Alfred nodded quickly, lifting his arms up as Oliver slowly slipped a shirt onto him. He lowered his arms when the shirt was finally on. It was practically a perfect fit! It was a red and black colored shirt, something that seemed common in Matthew's taste.

Soon he was fitted into some underwear (which Matthew complained was weird to share but Oliver reminded him these were new and it was okay) and pants. He looked down at himself, honestly if he changed his hair color he might just be mistaken for his new brother. Well, he'd also have to grow out his hair since Matthew's seemed to be quite long.

"Alright Alfred, I didn't mention this earlier, but I'm actually having a party tomorrow!" Alfred blinked in response, not really having anything to say. "I have one every year, it's really quite the ...um, pile of fun!" He grinned and Alfred heard Matthew snicker nearby. "Tomorrow's going to be a really special one though, because you're here!"

Alfred smiled a bit, feeling his heart warming up after being frozen for so long. He nodded and slightly smiled while showing teeth. "Great! Well I have to get things ready, so you two have fun, okay?" And with that Oliver was twirling out of the room (again, literally).

The rest of the day was spent with Alfred and Matthew asking each other questions. Such as, "What's your favorite color?" (in which Alfred's was stuck between red and blue and Matthew between red and purple) and many others. Before Alfred knew it the sun was setting outside and Oliver was calling lights out. So by around ten both boys were resting in bed with a smile.

"Hey, if anyone bothers you I'll be here, okay Alfie?" Matthew whispered, reaching over to place his hand over Alfred's. It really surprised Alfred that Matthew had a soft side. He seemed goofy and even a little rude earlier. It was a nice change.

Alfred was beginning to grow used to talking to him. He held Matthew's hand in his and nodded. "I-I'll try and protect you too, Mattie."

Matthew snorted in response, "Ha! Like you could!" With that both boys were giggling away into slumber.

The next day Alfred awoke to a light shaking. He yawned and slowly opened his eyes. Where was he? He peeked out at the red and white walls and noticed he was laying in a bed much too comfy to be his. Was this a dream? He didn't want to wake up then.

"Alfie, sweetie wake up," a voice called out. He knew that voice. ...Ol...Oliver! Right! The previous events began flooding his mind. That's right, he was in a new house. He had a new family.

He yawned and smiled up at the pink covered man, who was especially pink today. He had on a sparkly blush colored suit it seemed. "It's time to get ready dear, the people will be arriving soon!" Alfred blinked, trying to process what the other was saying. _Remember_. Oh right, there was going to be a party! Alfred smiled and slowly sat up, glancing about for his new brother.

"Matthew's already downstairs greeting our guests. Here, I rushed to the store this morning to get you this!" Oliver sang, holding up a white shirt with fancy dress pants. Alfred arched a brow when Oliver began pushing the clothes into his hands. "Put them on, no time to waste dear!"

Alfred quickly shrugged off his (Matthew's) clothes from the night before, switching into the new clothes. It fit pretty nicely, a little tight if anything. Oliver stood up straight and glanced the boy over, nodding in approval. "You look dashing! Come now, let's go, shall we?"

Alfred hummed in response, tilting his head. "What time is it?" Why would people be coming in so early?

"Oh, it's around six dear! You slept for quite awhile! I didn't disturb you though, you looked like you needed the rest!" Oliver said while combing his hair back. There were so many knots in it that he struggled a bit but managed to make him look...decent?

Alfred's mouth gaped open. Six, at night?! Has he ever slept that long? He shook his head and shoved the thoughts away, reaching up to grab Oliver's open hand instead. When they reached the staircase that led downstairs Oliver dashed behind him.

Alfred went to turn his head to see where he was going when two pale hands began covering his vision. He frowned but stood frozen. What was Oliver doing?

"Shh, keep walking!" Oliver chirped from behind, slowly nudging the American forward. Oliver must not have known the word 'safe' because this was definitely far from it.

However, Alfred agreed and began _slowly_ lowering himself down the stairs, taking careful steps. It felt like forever until they finally reached the bottom (in which Alfred nearly tripped over his own feet had it not been for Oliver keeping him up from behind).

Alfred stood still as the hands covering his eyes slowly removed. What he saw was the last thing he expected.

There were people everywhere. There must have at least been one hundred people around. That wasn't the thing though. They were all staring at him with large grins. Berwald was amongst the crowd, grinning even wider than the others. Did he have something on his face? Alfred shifted onto one leg, trembling slightly before-

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALFRED!"

Alfred's eyes widened, taking a step back. Oliver giggled from behind though and lifted him up into the air. Everyone began cheering as Alfred silently stared in amazement. These people were here for.. _him?_ Wait, birthday. Birthday? Birthday! When was the last time he looked at a calander? Was today... Was today July fourth?

"H-How-?" Alfred croaked out.

"Berwald called me yesterday to tell me! You silly goose!" Oliver, along with the rest of the crowd, began laughing. Alfred felt like he was about to faint. The whole room was beginning to swirl around him and blur. So he did the only thing he knew how to do.

He cried.

Everyone in the room grew silent at this. He couldn't help it, he just bursted into tears. Why was he crying? Stop! He's embarrassing Oliver! He really can't do anything right! Mother was right!

"Shh, baby, shh," he heard instead as he felt himself lowered and hugged closely. His head rested on the other's shoulder as he felt Oliver slowly pat his back. "Why are you crying baby?"

"I-I," Alfred sniffled, "I-I've n-never had a b-b-birthday party!" Alfred was full out sobbing now. He couldn't see it, but he was receiving soft smiles from around the room. Berwald was even fighting with the onions again.

"Oh sweetie, you're part of this family now." Oliver whispered into his ear, nuzzling his combed hair. "In this family we celebrate the birthdays of those we love."

"L-Love?" Alfred squeaked the foreign word out.

Love. _Love. _**Love. **

"Of course, Alfie!" He could hear the smile in Oliver's words. "We already love you."

Alfred couldn't help full out sobbing again. It wasn't because he was sad or scared though. Far from it. He was so happy. He didn't think he could feel any happier than this. People cared for him. He wasn't an item or a toy to play around with. He had heard once before from the neighborhood children that hearts shouldn't be messed with. He heard that once they were broken, they couldn't be fixed.

They were wrong though, because at this moment he could feel his heart repairing. Oliver, Matthew, and even Francis (who he guessed took a lot of convincing for all this) had wrapped a bandage around his frozen and broken heart. He could feel it mending, slowly but surely.

Alfred was finally _**loved**__._


	11. Chapter 11

**I am so sorry for updating this so late! I've been battling a mean case of writer's block and a jump from fandom to fandom lately. My interest in Hetalia has lowered just a tiny bit, along with my motivation to do things related to it. However I did find a bit of my muse again. So I'll try really hard to update faster! This is a short chapter, but it's important. One because it begins to show how this family truly is and two because it leads into next chapter which also shows each character's hidden self. **

**Enjoy and remember, reviews are _loved!~_**

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Don't touch the cupcakes.

_Don't touch the cupcakes._

_**Don't touch the cupcakes.**_

Alfred stared up at the large table in front of him, biting his lower lip as he stared at all the sweets on it. People were coming by and plucking a piece of cake or pie, cupcakes, cookies, and all sorts of sugary goodness. Alfred wanted nothing more but to jump into the pile of sweets and never escape. He didn't have things like this back home-or should he say old home? Regardless, he didn't have these amazing goods previously!

Oliver had promised him all the sweets he wanted tomorrow, but precisely said that the ones in the party were off limits. Alfred wasn't sure why and he didn't really care. All he knew was that he wanted a cupcake very badly! He let out a low whine that even he thought was pathetic before turning his head away to focus on something else. He really shouldn't be complaining. This whole party was just for him! Wait, so if it was his birthday shouldn't he be able to eat the sweets? What kind of twisted game was this?

He ran a hand through his hair before looking around the room. Oliver was chatting away with numerous guests at the same time. That man sure enjoyed talking, that was for sure. On the other hand Francis seemed to be sitting on the couch with a bottle in his hand, something that reminded Alfred of the "demon"'s happy juice. He noted to make sure Francis didn't drink too much of it. Who knows if he was worse than his mother when that stuff took affect? Although Alfred highly doubted it considering Francis was already considerably better.

Alfred tried really hard to focus on something else but his eyes kept trailing back to the table filled with glorious looking treats. _Maybe just one bite_...

"Hey Alfie!" A voice suddenly called out that made him jump up and stand up much straighter than usual. He plastered a smile on his face and looked ahead as his new brother came into view. Matthew walked over and lightly flicked Alfred's forehead.

"Ow! Why did you do that?" Alfred immediately pouted and raised a hand to rub his forehead. How rude.

"You're not supposed ta be near the cupcake table stupid! It's not safe here!" Matthew stated as if it was obvious. He began to tug on the American's hand and pull him away from the table. Alfred groaned and took a final look back at the marvelous table filled with goodies before he was dragged away into the endless crowd.

Soon he was surrounded by people, of who he didn't know a single face. Where was Berwald? Alfred rubbed the back of his head and gazed around from person to person. Even Matthew seemed to abandon him in the ocean of bodies. He began to look around in a desperate attempt to find Oliver or Matthew when he finally recognized someone nearby. He began to squeeze through the legs of the adults, goodness they were so tall. Were all adults this tall? Would he get to be this tall one day?

"Berwald!" Alfred called out to the man who seemed to be talking up a storm considering the person he was directing his words at seemed lost and confused. The man stopped talking in order to turn around and glance around the crowd.

"Who?"

"Down here!" Alfred smiled up at the man and tugged on his shirt. Berwald was wearing attire similar to the day before. He was even more red if that was possible. He truly fit the nickname of Mr. Valentine.

Berwald knocked his attention down to his feet and soon a huge grin was plastered on his face. "Alfred! Oh how are you? Are you enjoying your first party? It must be fantastic! I mean look at all the people here! It's like the greatest part in the world right now!" Alfred half looked at the person Berwald was talking to as he slinked away as soon as the opportunity showed itself. Oh well, more time for himself.

"It's okay, but it's weird. There are a lot of people, and Oliver won't let me eat any of the cuppy cakes!" Alfred crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at the older man. Mr. Valentine simply chuckled and reached a hand forward to ruffle the little American's hair.

"He doesn't? Well, that means I should stay away too! Knowing Olly, he doesn't joke about these sort of things." Berwald scratched his chin for a moment before gazing away in thought. "Hard to believe he would use the same joke twice in a row though. I wonder what he has up his sleeve? There are a few new people in the neighborhood, but he really has an attachment to this weird prank. It's hardly a prank actually, considering last year..." His voice became a blur in Alfred's head as the music increased in volume in the distance. He was about to block him out anyway.

What was he talking about? What was this about a joke? This was not funny. Alfred wanted his cupcakes! At that thought he felt his stomach growl at him. No, Oliver said not to touch the cupcakes. He has to obey. He can't mess up with this new family already. No matter how much he wants the cupcakes! He has to be a good boy. Just stop thinking about the cupcak-

Maybe one bite won't hurt.

Alfred took a few steps back and slipped into the crowd and hopefully out of Berwald's sight. He would explain himself later, right after he got himself a delicious treat. He sneaked around the countless bodies before he was once again at the table full of sugary delights. _I should stop._ He wanted to, he really did. However that didn't seem to stop him from leaning up and wrapping his hand around one of the cupcakes above. Once he lowered it he noticed its odd design. It was a pink cupcake (what a surprise) with a weird looking white thing designed with frosting (or so he thought) on top. He could have sworn he saw this picture somewhere before. What was it? Oh who cared! He wanted his cupcake already!

He slowly brought the sweet up to his mouth before taking a bite.

...

This was the best cupcake he ever had! Why did Oliver tell him to stay away from them? There wasn't anything wrong with the sweets! They tasted absolutely amazing! Never had something so rich and delicious entered Alfred's mouth. This was probably the best thing to eat in the entire world. Just as quickly as the cupcake was in his hand, it disappeared. Another one wouldn't hurt either, right? It was his birthday after all. He deserved this after everything he went through to get here.

He briefly wondered how Lovino would have liked the cupcakes before pushing the thought away in order to grab another. Soon that one was gone too, and another, and another. Before he realized it he had eaten five whole cupcakes. He was about to reach for another when he felt _it_.

Suddenly his stomach was closing in on him. The room was spinning, the ground was shaking, and the temperature went up a hundred degrees. Something was drilling into his stomach and into his organs. It was dancing around inside and pulling things out of place. His throat was disgustingly dry and soon there were colors of all sorts on the ground. _Please don't fall in. _He mentally chanted until he collapsed onto his knees. Something must have been trying to pull out his stomach from his mouth because nothing felt right. Whatever he was experiencing right now came straight out of hell-that place Natalia said all bad things happened in.

Soon things were turning black. He wasn't sure if he fell into the colorful mess on the ground, he was still on his knees, or if he was flying at this point. He didn't care too much either. The darkness that was beginning to surround him promised peace and quiet. He began to walk towards it until he heard a faint yell in the distance.

"Alfred!"

Who was that? They sounded too far now. He should just let the darkness consume him.

At that moment, before he saw complete blackness, he remembered where he saw the design before. It was around that holiday called Halloween that his mother always called stupid along with other inappropriate words. It was what they called a skull.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ew. Another short chapter. I'm sorry for these. I'm still fighting off major writers block right now. I just don't feel my ability to right is good at all, you know? Please forgive me!**

**Anyway, I have a question for you all. Remember when I did that bonus in a chapter awhile back? Where I wrote about Lovino's life? I was wondering-**

** Would you all like a chapter like that next for Francis and Matthew? **

**Anywho, enjoy! Remember, reviews are _loved._**

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"He told you not to eat the damn cupcakes."

Was that a voice? Alfred could hear himself groan, but nothing more. Was he sleeping? It didn't feel like a dream, and he was self conscious. Maybe it was one of those dreams he could control. If that were the truth he'd be having a dance party with cake right now though.

"Wake up kid. I don't have all day." The voice echoed again, convincing Alfred that this wasn't a dream. He couldn't feel his body though, his felt like he was floating.

"The shit should be working by now." The voice once again spoke. This time Alfred was beginning to hear it more clearly. The voice could be fully defined now and he recognized it, but...

All of a sudden a burning sensation erupted into his body. The darkness cleared as Alfred gasped and his eyes fluttered open. Wherever he was had way too many lights and they were all spinning around him. He immediately closed his eyes once again and buried his face into his hands. The pain was shooting out everywhere. It felt like someone was slashing at him with a belt from all angles. Something he was unfortunate enough to know the feeling of.

No, this was worse. It felt like it was coming from the inside. It wasn't just one spot either, his legs, arms, back, head, and everything was hurting. At the same time though, as fast as the pain had hit him, it was beginning to fade. Alfred wasn't sure how long it took until the sensation withered down into a small numb tingling.

"Fucking finally," Someone sighed nearby causing Alfred to open his eyes once again. Everything was a slight blur, but he could make out shapes. He hadn't seen this room before and he briefly wondered if he was still in his new home. The walls were a mix of pink and purple which was also odd. He made out the design on the walls to be cupcakes, of course. He trailed his eyes around and gazed at a strange bottle on the white bureau dresser in the corner of the room. It resembled "happy juice" and while the fear crept into his mind that he had been dragged back home by his mother it quickly diminished. No. Someone else drank that. He shifted around slightly and noted he was sitting on a recliner or something (probably also a certain red and white mixed color). He tore his eyes away and passed the king sized bed (also pink and purple, seriously these people had a color obsession) to finally look at who was speaking before.

By now his vision had all but cleared up, allowing him to see perfectly. Yes, he wasn't mistaken. That voice belonged to none other than Francis. However, Alfred couldn't think of any reason why he was in this room right now, with this weird tingling feeling and Francis.

"Man kid, I'm going to be honest, I thought you were dead. I'm glad you woke up." Francis was actually happy that Alfred woke up? "I wouldn't want to deal with a sad Oliver." _Oh_. Wait, why wouldn't he have woken up? What exactly happened before he passed out. Cupcakes. Something with cupcakes. Right! There was a party, a party for him. It was for his birthday, right? Then... Then he ate a cupcake. No, he ate five. Oliver told him not to. Afterwards everything went dark.

"Shit, you collapsed out of nowhere. Scared the shit out of everyone. Honestly I thought Oliver was going to pull out a knife and slash anyone in his way to get to you. You were covered in vomit and everything, it was hilarious!" Francis went on, shaking his head slowly.

_What a great guy._

Alfred tried to block him out at this point, focusing on other things. Alfred gazed at Francis and noticed he was wearing a lavender dress shirt, but it looked stained and it had a few buttons popped off. Hold up.

Lavender. Lavender... Purple.

This room was pink and purple.

Was this room Oliver and Francis' room? That made sense.

"Hey are you listening you little shit?" Alfred blinked a few times before returning his attention to the older man. Actually, looking at him now Francis didn't look that much older. He looked younger than his mother even. How old was he?

"Y-Yes." Alfred dryly responded, making a face afterwards. His throat felt disgusting, like someone stuffed a mega sponge in there and sucked up everything he had to offer.

"Anyway, I'm sure you have a lot of questions, huh?" Francis stood up from the white wooden chair he was sitting on and offered a hand out to the boy. The little American bit his lower lip before reaching out and gripping the hand. Why did he even trust this man?

"I'll tell you in a moment. First let's make sure Oliver doesn't have a heart attack. He's been freaking out so badly he couldn't even tend to you himself. Unbelievable." Francis shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette. Alfred wrinkled his nose and looked away.

Once they were out of the room Alfred instantly heard a loud call of his name. "Alfred!" The red-head turned and stared as Matthew ran towards him, nearly pouncing him into an embrace. "Alfie, you stupid head! I told you not to eat the dumb cupcakes! I thought I lost my new brother! Who was I going to teach hockey to? You poo head! I can't lose anyone else!"

"Matthew, that's enough," Francis spoke once again while this time his voice was more stern. It sounded like a warning almost.

Matthew looked up from his new brother before nodding and squeezing Alfred closer. "Daddy is waiting for you, he's really sad." Before Matthew could retreat and run away Alfred caught the glimpse of something shiny in the other's eyes. Was he crying?

"Come on." Francis huffed and began walking faster, pulling the small boy along with him. This man had to learn to be patient!

They began descending the stairs where Alfred heard what seemed to be a faint muffled sob. The living room was now empty, scratch the normal items there like the couch and television. The table was clear of all food and treats which Alfred couldn't help but frown about. All those treats, gone! Oh this cruel world! All the people apparently left and outside the window the sky looked pitch black. How long was he knocked out? Why did he faint anyway? He hoped Francis would explain soon.

Francis dragged him past the the living room and into the kitchen, something Alfred again never really got a good look at. The walls and floor were patterned with pink and white (what a surprise) tiles. It was a fairly big kitchen, at least compared to the small room his mother claimed to be a kitchen back home. He flinched when he realized he used the word _home._ This was his home now, why couldn't his mind just forget that place already?

The sound of crying came closer as they both stopped by another door. This one seemed to lead to the back of the house. Wow, they had a backyard too? Alfred looked up at the other as Francis gestured to the door. "Oliver's out there, so hurry up. I don't want to hear his annoying crying anymore. He's such a big baby!" After that he walked away, finally lighting up the cigarette that was in his hand.

Alfred hesitated for just a moment before opening the door. The cold air slapped him a few times as he forced his feet to go forward. Goodness gracious it was windy tonight. He grunted and had to squint his eyes to actually look past the chaotic wind. He felt like he was in a cheesy movie. Then again without cable and a television that barely had any channels back ho- in the demon's house, all he really did do was watch cheesy movies. Pushing that thought away he finally saw the source of all the crying sitting on a swing. What didn't these people have, seriously?

With all the strength of his now six year old body, he pushed himself past the horrendous and chilly wind. When he finally stopped in front of the man he realized Oliver wasn't even looking up. He had his face buried into his hands. He didn't even witness Alfred's heroic journey getting here! Pity.

"Um," was all that came out of his mouth. Very smooth.

That was enough to catch the blond's attention though as he snapped his head up and stared at the boy with wide eyes. His whole face was red as tears streamed down his cheeks. His hair was all over in a thousand different directions. He truly looked like a mess, and this was coming from the Alfred.

"My baby! You're alright!" Oliver immediately hopped off the swing and scooped Alfred up into his arms. Alfred didn't resist, considering the distraught expression on Oliver's face just seconds ago, he didn't have the heart to. Young or not, he could tell when someone was upset. "Oh Alfred, I am so sorry! Please forgive me! I shouldn't have left you so close to those stupid cupcakes. I shouldn't have even had them out! I should have known better than to keep a little kid away from treats. I ruined your birthday party! I am so very sorry dear!"

Eventually Alfred just pressed a finger up to Oliver's lips, making him stop. This family really liked to talk a lot. It was a foreign thing to him. If anything he's heard more speaking here in this town than he has in his whole life already.

"I'm okay. I forgive you." Alfred croaked out, his throat still dry. Francis could have at least let him stop to get a glass of water along the way here.

"Really?" Oliver froze for a minute, staring at the small boy in disbelief before squeezing him into a tight hug. Alfred had to push his hands against the blond's chest in order for him to pull back. Alfred couldn't breathe! "Oh honey, I can't even explain how sorry I am for all of this."

"Um, Oliver. What happened?" The boy tilted his head to the side as Oliver placed him back down, only to kneel down himself. Oliver let out a long sigh as he wiped his eyes with his hand. He slid his fingers through his hair before trying to make it look decent. After fixing his small blue bow (the one thing that really stuck out from the rest of his pink clothing) he spoke.

"Oh sweetie, I'll leave that to Francis to tell you, I just don't have the heart or strength to do so. I will tell you one thing though, something I'm very sorry for." Oliver leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Alfred's forehead. The man placed both of his hands on the boy's shoulder and forced a smile to his face.

"You're not in a normal family."


End file.
